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Interest in Trade Certification for Infrastructure Workers

Keen Interest in Trade Certification for Infrastructure Workers

Wellington, 4 May 2015: The civil infrastructure industry is enthusiastically welcoming the new trade qualification for its workers.

Up until now workers in the civil infrastructure industry in jobs such as road construction and pipe installation, have had no industry wide and transferrable trade qualification. But now, like building, plumbing and electrical workers, they can do on the job training and gain a certificate in their field of expertise.

Available from July, the programme combines a recognised trade qualification with certified hours of practical experience, and leads to registration as a Certified Tradesperson. Trainees can specialise in civil works, utilities maintenance, pipe installation, bituminous surfacing, or bituminous product manufacturing.

Certified Tradespeople will be recognised as highly skilled in their chosen trade - able to work to the required standard unsupervised and with a high degree of practical and theoretical knowledge beyond skilled labourer or plant operator.

The initiative is being developed for Civil Contractors New Zealand (CCNZ) by Connexis, the industry training organisation for the infrastructure industry and in partnership with Stronger Christchurch Infrastructure Rebuild Team (SCIRT) rebuilding Christchurch’s earthquake damaged infrastructure.

A Civil Trades Certification Board has been established to oversee the new trade regime and the registration of Civil Infrastructure Tradespeople. Board Chair and CCNZ President, Dave Connell, says the initiative is exciting and well overdue.

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"It will give a much-needed boost to how Civil Construction is perceived as a career option.

We will be able to attract young people who did well at high school but have a practical nature and don’t want to go to university," he says.

"The programme will also enable us to have apprenticeships in our industry on a par with trades such as electricians, and help people understand what we actually do. I’m really enthusiastic about it and I am confident it will help attract some great people into the industry.”

Dave adds that the regulated trades regime will see certified tradespeople take ownership and provide the craftsmanship required for delivery of a product or construction activity. "It will be game changing for the industry and the people who work in it."

The Civil Trades Certification Board has been established to maintain and govern the trades’ certification regime on behalf of Civil Contractors New Zealand. Civil Contractors New Zealand (CCNZ) represents contractors who carry out the country’s civil infrastructure construction and maintenance work.  CCNZ estimates that the civil construction sector carries out more than $12 billion of work annually and employs in excess of 40,000 workers nationwide.

Dave says the trade certification will empower and advantage workers who will have a recognised and transferrable trade behind them. "For employers it means more engaged workers who are more productive and safer and with an expected outcome of less on-job re-work required."

Connexis ITO Chief Executive, Helmut Modlik says the introduction of the Trade Certification Board is a significant milestone.

“The industry has wanted it for a long time. A number of factors, including the Christchurch rebuild and the increasing need for experienced and qualified infrastructure workers across New Zealand has meant great progress has been made. It's a significant step for both the industry and its workers."

ends

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