EC2 - September 2014 EC2 - September 2014

7 SKILLS & TRADE BUILDING APPRENTICES IN DEMAND Growth in construction sector good news for apprentices. By Steve Hart The number of people in building apprenticeships is currently down on last year’s figure. However, Grant Florence, CEO of Certified Builders’ Association, says employers in the industry have vacancies they can’t fill. Figures from the government’s Tertiary Education Commission show there are currently fewer carpentry apprentices enrolled in ITO schemes today when compared to last year. In a statement, the Tertiary Education Commission says it expects the 2014 figure to rise before the year’s end. In 2012 there were 6,466 carpentry apprentices, and in 2011, there were 6,971. “It just shows that people are looking to become qualified,” says Grant Florence. “The forecast for construction activity is that there is going to be good demand for the next seven years.” However, he still foresees a skills shortage down the track, along with the inevitable delays in homes being built. “There has been growth in the industry with building consents, so employers have been more inclined to take on apprentices, and the government’s reboot scheme may have had some impact – but not necessarily,” says Grant. “And the industry is becoming more attractive. Young people know they need to get qualified to work in the industry, so with licensing coming in it has given everyone a benchmark around lifting the profes- sionalism and people’s capability.” While Auckland and Christchurch are the clear hotspots for trades’ people – with Grant saying some employers in these locations finding it hard to fill apprentice vacancies – he says there are opportunities for people wanting apprenticeships in most parts of the country. Grant says the key traits for people wanting to work in the building industry include having a willingness to work and learn. “It’s no different to any other job, that is what all employers look for, if people have the right attitude, employers will be more than willing to teach them,” he says. For people looking for apprentice positions, Grant recommends they contact his organisation, colleges that offer industry training, and call companies they want to work for. Apprentices aren’t all young people training for their first job out of school – some are older people retraining for a new career. “There is a sprinkling of older people in training,” says Grant. “In our nationwide Apprentice of the Year competition we have, for the last three years, seen older people reach the finals. It is pleasing to see.” The winner of this year’s Certified Builder’s Association’s Apprentice of the Year contest was Joe Sparks, a 22-year-old from Auckland, walked away with the award and $5000. The former Auckland Boys’ Grammar pupil says he has always preferred being outdoors and working with his hands, but didn’t rush into his first job. The winner of this year’s Certified Builder’s Association’s Apprentice of the Year was Joe Sparks from Auckland. “All my friends went off to uni, but I decided to go travelling to Europe for six months and when I got back decided that learning a trade was right for me,” he says. “I got into the building trade via the film industry – building movie sets. My dad’s an editor, my mum’s a production manager, and they encouraged me to get a qualifica- tion of some sort. “It is very difficult being freelance in the movie industry because you can be flat out one week, and not know if you will have any work the next week. All the guys I worked with advised me to get qualified. It is such a failsafe, regardless of whether you want to be a builder or not.” GET THE SKILLS TO KICKSTART YOUR CAREER ZERO FE el sub ES sidy + Trav HANDS ON TRAINING You can obtain multiple qualiﬁcations during your Youth Guarantee tuition with us. ENROLING NOW Gain NZQA qualiﬁcations in these areas: * OR COURSES F 16-19 ONLY • Automotive • Building & Construction • Warehousing & Distribution (Forklift Cert.) • Employment Skills • Forces Pre-Entry (Navy, Army, Air Force, Police) • Recreation & Sport Call or visit our branches in: • Retail MANGERE, PAPAKURA, KELSTON *TEC conditions apply. Courses vary at each location. • Security • Welding (Welding Ticket) CALL 08800 00 0055 SKILLS UPDATE TO ENROLE NOW TRAINING INSTITUTE Registered and Accredited with NZQA NZQA provider rating: CATEGORY 1, 'Highly Conﬁdent' in both Educational Performance and capability in self Assessment

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