Hiring an apprentice – why or why not?

Q: Taking on an apprentice can be a great way to train new staff from the get-go and ensure New Zealand’s construction industry has the skills required to cope with the volume of work across the country. Do you normally take on apprentices and why?

Firm: Templeton Construction Limited
Principal: Ben Templeton
Location: Twizel
Staff: 4 builders (including 2 apprentices)

Since I started my business almost seven years ago, I’ve taken on four apprentices, two of which just started in the last 12 months. I was given the chance to do my apprenticeship, so I think it’s important to pass the knowledge on by spending time training someone else. It is time consuming for the first year, and you have to make the time to teach them, but in the long run it pays off. By the time they get to their third year they’re often capable enough to run jobs for you. What’s also great is that most apprentices usually stay on once I’ve trained them. I feel that one of the best things about having an apprentice is that you get to train them to your way of building. Sometimes, if someone’s been taught how to do things differently, it can take a while for them to learn your processes. So, why not train them from the beginning?

Firm: Tokerau Builders Limited
Principal: Mark Dancaster
Location: Tokerau
Staff: 2 independent contractors

I started my business ten years ago and, while I’ve always had enough work, I’ve never been in a position where I had enough work and time to take on an apprentice. I always felt that if I didn’t have the time to teach them properly, then it wasn’t fair to them or to me so I’ve avoided it. I’m also a self-taught builder and wasn’t sure how confident I would be passing on my knowledge – not because it’s inaccurate, but I never learned in a formal setting so have been unsure about my ability to teach. Another reason I haven’t taken on an apprentice is that, for the past while, there have been plenty of skilled builders looking for jobs and not a huge pool of builder apprentices in my area. However, with the workload increasing, skilled builders are harder to find and there’s a lot more apprentice-level interest in building, so I might take on an apprentice in the New Year. For me, the key will be ensuring that the apprentice is actually passionate about building so the investment in his/her education is worthwhile.

Firm: Hunter & Craig Building
and Design
Principal: Derek Craig
Location: Central Otago
Staff: 3 builders

I’ve taken on apprentices in the past and will be looking at taking on another in the New Year as I think it’s a great idea – if not, how do we learn? I think it would be a bit sad to decide we couldn’t afford the time to help train the next generation. Most of the apprentices I’ve taken on have ended up working with us either full time or on occasion, so it’s worked out well for both parties. I’m an advocate of apprentices working for a few people, so they get a more diverse education and a broad view of the building trade – not just one builder’s view. Many of us do things differently and it’s good exposure for these young trainees to see various techniques. For example, we focus on and specialise in building environmentally friendly homes as much as possible, but other builders have different focuses.