The Hurunui District Council is joining other local businesses in growing the number of career qualifications available in the Hurunui. The council is running two successful apprenticeships and launching a third in the form of a Building Officer Cadet role.

The new Building Officer Cadet will be placed within the council’s building department. The role will include unit standards and on the job experience over four years – earning while learning. The successful cadet will finish with a National Diploma in Building Surveying and a solid start to any career in the industry.

Kerry Walsh, the council’s Team Leader in Building Controls, explained the new role is the council doing its part to give a leg up to those starting a career journey and also support the industry. “Building officers are in very short supply New Zealand wide. It’s really important that we look at the bigger picture and do our part to put more qualified individuals out into the local industry,” he said. “It’s a great career and the cadet role offers job competency as well as the official qualification. In many instances we have taken people on from other related professions and trained them, now we are offering a qualification from the very beginning as well”.

This latest apprenticeship has followed on from two apprenticeships successfully running in the Three Waters Team (council’s water department). Riki Pugh from Cheviot and Ethan Dellaway from Waipara have been Utilities Officer Apprentices in the Three Waters Team since 2018. Their apprenticeships take 3 years to complete and involve remote learning and plenty of on the job experience. The result for these apprentices will be an industry recognised NZQA Level 3 Utilities Freshwater and Wastewater Qualification.

When asked about his Hurunui based Utilities Officer Apprenticeship, Ethan Dellaway said he enjoyed working in remote locations around the district and meeting so many local people. He also explained it was great to find a qualification available within the Hurunui. “The first year and a half is about learning how the water schemes work and getting to know the district. The bookwork side of things came next and helps understand the theory as well" he said. “When I first saw the job I thought it was a great opportunity to be close to home and learn a useful trade”.

Riki Pugh, also a Utilities Officer Apprentice, explained why he chose to do an apprenticeship. “For me, I felt it was important to learn by doing instead of sitting in a classroom full time,” he said. “I’ve really valued making a living while learning. It just seems like a big bonus to avoid a student loan and have found an employer that will support my study”.

The new building officer cadet will be learning everything the building team has to offer about building, consenting and inspections. The role is being advertised on the council’s careers website at www.hdcjobs.co.nz. Applications close on Friday the 17th of January 2020.

© Scoop Media