The two organisations have joined forces to develop the Critical Skills Apprenticeship Programme – a series of workshops and one-on-one sessions designed to boost apprenticeship success and help aspiring tradies navigate the formal aspects of their mahi. The Te Tai Tokerau (Northland) pilot kicked off in Kerikeri last week and hopes are that eventually the programme will be rolled out region by region, nationwide.

“This programme is about workforce resilience, it’s about empowering and supporting our apprentices to not only be great on the job, but also do the formal mahi,” explains Education Unlimited Director Tina Rose.

Many apprentices need support to deal with the speedbumps of successfully completing their apprenticeships, in particular neurodiverse learners such as those with dyslexia.

“The assumption is that doing an apprenticeship is all hands on, but that’s not true. You are encouraged to use the BCITO portal, load photos, and write about what you’ve been doing. You need to be able to read plans and product specs. These aren’t the sorts of things that you just wake up one day and know how to do.”

Five full-day workshops make up the bulk of the five-month programme with additional one-on-one sessions for each apprentice. Learners will gain their Site Safe Foundation Passport Building Construction, and develop their skills in time management, problem solving, and workplace communication. The GoodYarn Mental Health Awareness workshop will strengthen apprentices’ understanding around the importance of managing and talking about their mental health – vital competencies in an industry which loses on average one person a week to suicide.

Apprentices will also graduate from the programme with grounded financial literacy skills including foundational knowledge of how to manage their income and set SMART financial goals.

By strengthening apprentices’ skills in these key areas Education Unlimited and BCITO|Te Pūkenga are playing a critical role in future-proofing New Zealand’s building and construction industry, and enhancing the lives of those who are a part of it.

Adds Tina, “We are so excited to be supporting New Zealand’s building and construction sector through the Critical Skills Apprenticeship Programme, and providing our future industry leaders with the building blocks to success.”

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