NMIT Carpentry Students benefit from Trade Me Sale

NMIT Carpentry Students benefit from Trade Me Sale

Carpentry students at Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology are hoping Trade Me will deliver not just a sale but also a healthy amount of money for scholarships.

The successful building and sale of two one-bedroom relocatable accommodation units by last year’s students has inspired NMIT to repeat the exercise, but instead of an onsite auction once they’re completed, they’ve recently been listed on Trade Me so that they can be pre-sold.

The 44 sq m units are up to sale for enquiries over $50,000 each.

Kevin Roughton, Trades Programme Leader, says the buildings have many benefits.

“Not only giving the students invaluable experience on a real project, working with industry partners that could be their future employers, it’s also allowed us to create carpentry scholarships. Once the costs of the building are covered, remaining funds go towards student scholarships.”

He says with the Trade Me listing, someone can buy a unit before it’s completed and as well as being able to watch the completion, they can perhaps have some say in finishing touches.

Last year, the sale at auction of the two buildings netted scholarship distribution funds of $4500.

Up to five awards of $900 each will be made for The NMIT Pre-Trade Scholarships. Those eligible are school-leavers across the Top of the South who want to study full-time on the Certificate in Carpentry (Pre-Trade) at NMIT.

The relocatable unit project has the backing of local industry and a number of business partners are providing professional service. The units are all built to strict NZ building regulations, and include a building consent issued by Nelson City Council.

Kevin Roughton says it’s a fantastic learning opportunity for the students.

“The fact they are being built to be used in real situations gives the students a buzz and they become really passionate about getting it right. We’re hoping that this year, if they’re pre-sold it will be even more exciting as there’s a possibility for the students to meet the new owner they’re building for, which also makes it more than just a training exercise. Having that interaction with owners is what builders do every day,” he says.

The trade me listing for viewing the units can be found at: www.trademe.co.nz select real estate and enter ID : BFZ314 or search key word: NMIT.

There is further information on the NMIT website on the page:

www.nmit.ac.nz/schools/technologyprimaryindustries/relocatablehomes.aspx

Local business sponsors of project include: Classic Hits, Newstalk ZB , Nelson; ITM, Roberts Kitchens, David DeGray, Tim Miller Plumbing, Aotea Electrical and Absolute Energy.

ENDS