GOT A TRADE? GOT IT MADE!

If you’re looking for an apprentice, or have one already, Got a Trade week is an opportunity for you to find one or help entice others into the industry by showing them around your worksite

The biggest showcase of New Zealand tradespeople in the country’s history is coming soon. Got a Trade week, running 21-28 August, is part of a nationwide campaign to raise awareness of workplace qualifications among jobseekers, their teachers and parents. If you have an apprentice, bring them along so they can share their experience with aspiring ones.

New Zealand needs skilled tradespeople. The 2014 Talent Shortage Survey, produced by Manpower Group, shows that engineers, technicians and skilled trades feature among ‘the top five jobs employers have difficulty filling’ across the Asia-Pacific region. Globally, skilled trades are the highest in demand.

As part of a recent BRANZ  survey about what a career map for the industry should look like, secondary and post-secondary students and trainees were surveyed to understand their information requirements and their biggest influences in making career decisions. The key findings showed that most students want real information and practical examples from talking to people already working in the industry they’re considering. That’s where the concept for Got a Trade week was born.

It aims to enhance public perception of training and career prospects in New Zealand’s service and trade industries, by getting up close and personal with modern-day apprentices, trainees and the companies that employ them. Their stories will inspire and seed conversations in homes, schools and workplaces, while showing the sense of pride that comes from acquiring new skills and qualifications on the job.

Launched at the 2014 Careers Expo, the GOT A TRADE? GOT IT MADE campaign is the collaborative brainchild of seven industry training organisations:

• BCITO
• Competenz
• Connexis
• HITO
• MITO
• Service IQ
• The Skills Organisation

BCITO will give students the chance to see the building and construction industry in action and the opportunity to meet real people involved in it.

The BCITO Got a Trade Day is happening on Thursday 27 August, when BCITO’s 14 regional teams will be joining with local industry, employers and apprentices to host career seekers at a number of construction-related facilities and locations.

In all regions, BCITO is looking for employers and apprentices who would welcome the opportunity to invite a group of students/career seekers onto their worksite, so you can share why you’ve got it made.

If you’re interested in being involved in the BCITO Got a Trade Day, please contact Daniel Jone at BCITO on 0800 4BCITO (422 486). Visit gotatradegotitmade.co.nz to find out more.

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