KiwiRail shunt through National Certificates

20 October 2011

KiwiRail shunt through National Certificates

4 staff at KiwiRail Hutt Workshops became the first staff at KiwiRail to complete the National Certificate in Blaster Coating Level 3 on Wednesday 18 October. The National Certificates were presented in a ceremony at the Hutt Workshop site by EXITO Training Advisor Susi Batterbury. The presentation was attended by colleagues, Managers and EXITO, the standard setting body for on-job training in the Blaster Coating industry.

The 4 KiwiRail staff that achieved the National Certificates are Yogesh Reddy, Joseph Soane, Jerome Alefosio and Peter Peteru.

“These are the first National Certificates at Level 3 that KiwiRail have achieved in Blaster Coating so it’s a great achievement for everyone involved. KiwiRail plays a vital role in New Zealand’s infrastructure so it’s important that its staff are skilled and competent. It’s also a high profile company setting a positive example for the rest of the Blaster Coating industry,” said Susi Batterbury.

“KiwiRail is always going to support training towards national qualifications” stated Karl Bouterey, Hutt Workshops Site Manager. Warren Mueller, Passenger Projects Manager, praised the coatings team, saying they had an outstanding reputation for applying themselves and being available at anytime, even coming in on weekends without issue. “And always good quality” he stressed.

The Hon Steven Joyce was unable to attend the presentation due to prior commitments but sent a message of congratulations. As Minister for Tertiary Education and Transport, and Associate Minister for Infrastructure, the presentation covered three areas where the Minister has a strong interest in celebrating success. “Industry training provides opportunities for people to launch their careers and be recognised for the skills and knowledge that are developed on the job. This would not be possible without the ongoing support of firms like KiwiRail,” wrote the Minister.

National Certificate recipient Joseph Soane admitted that it wasn’t easy, “…we managed with the support of our team, Workplace Literacy Tutor Marian, and Krystyna Campbell, our EXITO Assessor”. Jerome Alefosio spoke about being ‘quite stoked’ to be able to do the qualification, and said the team had already set their sights on Level 4.

The National Certificate in Blaster Coating Level 3 is part of a suite of qualifications that bring vital skills to the workforce and provide defined career pathways. The Level 3 qualification requires trainees to demonstrate competence in abrasive blasting and protective coating operations, and builds on health and safety skills learnt at Level 2. Qualifications are achieved in the workplace through on-job training which means employees are learning while they are earning.

www.exito.org.nz

ENDS

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