Colin King MP
National Party Associate Education Spokesman
(Trades and Training)

28 February 2007

Half of all trades trainees fail exams

The number of trainees failing gas-fitting exams has increased since the Government dumped the industry exam board last year, says National’s Associate Education spokesman, Colin King.

Provisional results of the 2006 Plumbers, Gas-fitting and Drainlayers registration exams, released in answer to written parliamentary questions, show 51% of gas-fitting candidates failed their exam, while 62% of plumbing trainees also failed.

In 2005, the failure rate for gas-fitting was 42% while plumbing was 89%.

Those results prompted the Government to sack the exam board and review the exam process.

“The latest results are incredibly disappointing,” says Mr King.

“The gas-fitting trainees are failing at a higher rate than last year, and though the plumbing results have improved on last year, a 62% failure rate is still appalling.

“The dysfunctional relationship between the Industry Training Organisation and the exam board still exists.

“Trainees are suffering in the short term, and the industry will lose out in the long term as the shortage of skilled workers grows.

“The fundamental problem facing trades training is that the exam candidates don’t have the necessary literacy and numeracy skills to successfully pass the exam.

“The candidates might know what to do and when to do it, but when it comes to writing why and how, a large number don’t make the grade.

“This is a huge issue for the future of trades training and something that must be addressed immediately.”

ENDS

See... Trades Training Exam Results.pdf

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