Press Release – Wellington Institute of Technology
On Monday, WelTec students will hand over the keys to two houses built at the Petone Campus to Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker.

WelTec trades students have built the houses as part of their programme of study at WelTec. The students, most aged between 16 and 25, with the backing of the WelTec Council wanted to show their support for Christchurch by donating the houses to Mayor Bob Parker.

The houses are built from scratch at the WelTec Petone campus and are fully compliant with building codes. The houses are usually sold on the open market, but the WelTec Council decided at their July meeting that they wanted to support the students’ work and donate the houses to Christchurch.

Background

WelTec has been involved in discussions with government and Christchurch–based organisations including Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology proposing ways in which it can assist to train the people needed to rebuild Christchurch.

WelTec is one of the biggest trade training tertiary education providers in New Zealand with more than 4,700 students studying in trades programmes like building and carpentry, and programmes which include advanced-technology skills used in the wider construction industry.

WelTec graduates are work-ready. Students studying at WelTec achieve qualifications that enable them to enter the workforce. 95% of WelTec students undertake work experience as part of or while studying for their qualification. The integration of work experience with academic study is a key feature of WelTec’s programmes. Having real hands-on experience with industry while students are studying means students’ learning is greatly enhanced. Many of WelTec’s students go on to work for the employers they have been placed with while they are studying.

WelTec has recently been approved to deliver more trades training as government starts to allocate extra resourcing into trades-related training.

Additional training will be offered this year in carpentry, painting, horticulture, brick and blocklaying, tiling, electrical, plumbing – all key skill areas which will contribute to the Christchurch rebuild effort and which will be in short supply. WelTec has workshop space to accommodate more training particularly in the evenings and at the weekend.

In the trades area, WelTec offers pre-trade programmes and training of apprentices for employers, and can also offer Just-in Time training to produce workers who, once they have completed their training, have basic construction skills and are ready to work. These approaches to training work well for industry.

Content Sourced from scoop.co.nz
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