Action on building industry training timely

Media Release
1 November, 2012

Action on building industry training timely

Moves by the Government to boost training and employment programmes to assist in the rebuild of Canterbury are timely, says the Building Industry Federation.

Chief Executive Bruce Kohn said today the aim of recruiting 900 new workers over the next year needed to be a realised target and not an aspirational one because of rising labour demand.

“Unemployment rolls in Canterbury have fallen by about 50 percent and industry efforts with MSD and CPIT co--operation to draw off recruits from the ranks of unemployed are stalling.

“A range of trade work skills are urgently wanted. These cover carpentry, hammer hands, gib-stoppers, roofers, steel handlers, concrete layers, plasterers and painters. A basic one month course arranged by the industry with CPIT can bring new entrants up to speed with the building site environment and prepare them for on-job training in the specialist skill of their choice.

“Truck drivers are urgently needed. Delivery of cement is under pressure because of a shortage of drivers and trucks. New trucks costing millions of dollars are on order but skilled drivers will need to be trained to handle them.

“Overall Ministers Brownlee and Joyce by expanding training and recruitment programmes have contributed significantly to the ability of the industry to meet the challenges imposed by the scale of the rebuild.”

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