That’s why Education Unlimited deliver the Site Safe Foundation – Building Construction programme with a twist. Known as ‘Site Safe Blended’ it’s specifically designed to grow learners’ health and safety confidence and competence while also boosting their literacy capabilities. By reducing class sizes to a maximum of 14, and increasing the length of the workshop from four hours to six, learners are given more opportunities and more time to develop their understanding of workplace health and safety. And by embedding fundamental literacy and language into the programme, everyone graduates with the skills and knowledge they need to stay safe.

“This programme is about empowering our rangatahi, our people new to the industry, our ESOL people, our women in trades and our people ready for a refresher to make our workplaces safer for everybody,” says Education Unlimited Director Tina Rose, who has delivered the workshop to more than 500 learners nationwide.

In addition to participants working through the Site Safe Foundation – Building Construction course, they also learn about annual leave, statutory entitlements and payslips, as well as the tricky vocab used in employment agreements (remuneration, protocol and intrinsic for starters!).

“This is a more in depth Site Safe foundation workshop for people with little or no construction experience and at the same time it supports participants to strengthen their workplace literacy skills. When people walk out of that room at the end of the day, they really understand their health and safety obligations and their part in keeping themselves and their workmates safe.”

The interactive and fun workshop has been rolled out from Kaitaia to Rotorua, across schools, PTEs and construction companies through Auckland’s Jobs and Skills Hubs, and with other partners committed to empowering people to genuinely engage in health and safety. The feedback has been excellent.

“I learned it’s my responsibility to make sure everyone is safe,” said one recent participant.

“It was a good session, good people, and most of all I now understand a payslip,” said another.

Earlier this year Education Unlimited delivered Site Safe Blended to a group of Year 13 trades students from De La Salle College. Here’s what the school’s Careers Advisor Frances had to say.

“Right from the get-go the tutor had students in the palm of his hand – he has treated them like adults and they have responded really well to this. His teaching has been interactive, working in teams and extremely well set up and organised for the day’s teaching. The students were keen to get back after the break and it is obvious that this feels relevant to them.”

By providing participants with the additional support they need to truly understand the importance of workplace health and safety, Education Unlimited’s Site Safe Blended is helping to boost safety in construction sites across the country.

Adds Tina, “These young Māori, Pasifika and ESOL people are going into dangerous and dynamic workplaces where hazards are everywhere. The foundational health and safety ‘ticket’ is a fundamental and critical way to prepare them for the world of work and the expectations on them. Taking the time in a smaller group to build confidence to ask questions and fully participate in the day is benefiting their health and safety and the health and safety of those around them, now and into the future.”

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