Learning on the job

2 June 2015

Learning on the job

Wellington Regional School of Construction

When he was still at school, 19 year-old Denno Veratau realised he had a natural ability for carpentry and excelled at it as part of his design and technology course at Onslow College. “My work was good, my teacher said almost as perfect as his! I told my Dad, I’m going to be a builder,” said Denno.

Denno’s ability and his aspirations to be a builder, lead him to apply for a place with WelTec’s Wellington Trades Academy in 2014, his final year at school.

This helped him successfully achieve NCEA level 2 and contributed to a Vocational Pathway award in Construction and Infrastructure. Denno also completed two construction-related National Certificates: Building, Construction and Allied Trades Skills; and Basic Residential Property Maintenance. All of this while also playing rugby for his school’s first XV.

Denno said from this, the obvious path forward was the WelTec Certificate in Carpentry Level 3 at WelTec’s new Regional School of Construction, which he began in March this year. By the end of the programme Denno’s class will have built a three bedroom, relocatable house.

Denno now spends four days a week on the WelTec construction site. Fridays are a critical part of Denno’s learning as they are spent on the job with a qualified builder so that he gains knowledge of how to operate in a real work environment ensuring he is not learning in an ‘education’ vacuum.

Arthur Graves, the Ministry of Education’s Group Manager for Youth Guarantee said of the programme: “Learning happens both inside and outside of the traditional classroom. Relevancy in education is crucial, and can only be achieved when industry are actively involved in supporting study. We are encouraging businesses and educational institutions around the country to source partnerships to provide this relevancy.”

Denno’s current Friday work experience involves putting up plaster-board for a friend’s father who is a builder. He says he has already had two other offers from local builders and once the club rugby season is over, he will be working weekends too.

Wellington Regional School of Construction tutor, John Clench says work experience is a valuable addition to students’ learning while on the programme.

“Work experience can be the student’s ticket to a cadetship* with a construction company which combines full time employment with study and learning towards a national qualification. Some students like Denno will already have contacts in the industry through family and friends and will quickly develop a good reputation. WelTec also has a Jobs Broker to assist students find work when they have completed their programme of study.”

John explains that students are learning skills in an environment that replicates the workplace. “They are learning what it is really like on a building site, how components go together and they thrive in the environment. The way we deliver our programmes means our graduates are highly sought after by employers and appreciate the work readiness of our graduates.”

Denno agrees, already his work diary, which is a log of what he has done, is full of what he has learnt - reading and working from a set of construction drawings, setting out profiles, constructing sub-floor bearers, joists, and putting in under-floor insulation.

By the end of the programme he will have added much more and can show this diary to potential employers. Although for this talented student, it is likely he will have already negotiated the next step on his career pathway in the form of a cadetship – working and studying towards achieving a Level 4 National Certificate in Carpentry. From there he will work towards becoming a Licensed Building Practitioner and with this qualification he would like to start up the Veratau Construction Company. Denno is on a clear pathway to his building dream.

ENDS

© Scoop Media