NorthTec/Tai Poutini Scaffolding pilot pleasing for Industry

20 March 2013

NorthTec/Tai Poutini Scaffolding pilot pleasing for Industry

A successful joint pilot programme in scaffolding, partnered by NorthTec and the South Island West Coast’s Tai Poutini Polytechnic, has been welcomed as “extremely useful” by the local scaffolding industry.

SARNZ (Scaffolding and Rigging industry of New Zealand Professional Association) President and Northland Scaffolding’s Director Chris Douglas says the programme had been impressive and he along with others in the industry was happy to champion the pilot and back its implementation.

“It makes a big difference having people on your worksite who are already trained in the basics of scaffolding and particularly in Health and Safety,” Mr Douglas says.

“From an employer’s point of view it gives us confidence that we are hiring scaffolders who have been trained and we don’t have to go through the process of training new recruits.”

NorthTec’s Programme Leader: SafeTrades, Modern Apprenticeships, Simone Rakena says the partnership with Tai Poutini Polytechnic and the local Scaffolding Industry identified the need for new entrants into the trade to meet the growing demand for the skills shortage in the region. From here all parties worked together to develop an introductory integrated Scaffolding and Health and Safety programme.

“The demand for the training is based on proposed skills shortages for the region’s key 2013 construction projects which include the Refinery NZ expansion, Marsden City development, Fonterra, and the Golden Bay Cement’s scheduled shut-downs, the growth in the residential market as well as the labour shortage through the migration of skilled employment to the Australian mines sector,” she says.

Tai Poutini Polytechnic’s specialist training provision within the Scaffolding and Rigging sector and NorthTec’s National Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety has provided the industry with a partnership that has been responsive to meet their needs in providing a programme that has the core skills and knowledge that the sector requires.

The programme is aimed at entry level employees and incorporates the National Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety (Workplace Safety) level 3 as well as components of the National Certificate in Scaffolding.

The industry and the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) have been key in selecting content for the programme and identifying prospective candidates. Career plans have been designed for each candidate to demonstrate the pathways through to further training. The training is collaborative with tutorial staff from both organisations working together to share experience, resources, and employment outcomes.

The 2012 Pilot programme has been extremely successful with 12 graduates from the pilot and with all parties reviewing what has worked well and what could improve.

“To date we have 70% employment success and we are hoping over the next two months that this will increase to 90%,” Mrs Rakena says.

“The importance of the 2012 Graduates securing employment is vital to warrant the need/demand for a May 2013 programme to commence. We do not want to be training people up if the work demand is not there. “

“We encourage both employers and potential employees to come forward and express their interest in the May 2013 programme,” she says.

NorthTec is the Tai Tokerau (Northland) region's largest provider of tertiary education, with campuses and learning centres in Whangarei, Kerikeri, Rāwene, Kaikohe and Kaitaia. NorthTec also has over 60 community-based delivery points from Coatesville in rural Rodney to Ngataki in the Far North.

ENDS

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