Skills maintenance feedback

What are your thoughts on the new skills maintenance requirements?

Firm: Richard Payne Limited
Principal: Richard Payne
Location: Albany
Staff: self-employed

I’m 62, I’ve been in the building trade for 42 years and I find it really hard to keep track of what’s happening with skills maintenance. Granted, it doesn’t help that I moved to Australia about seven years ago, when the scheme was just getting underway. I came back and got licensed about two years ago, and feel as though it’s had little focus from me or the Government since.

I just recently found out about the changes, and I was glad to hear that the new registrar has a building background. I also think it’s smart to include on-the-job learning, because most builders aren’t computer people. We like to work with our hands, which is why we got into this profession in the first place.

Reading anything online is very stressful for me, as I don’t get on with computers. Overall I think the idea is good, but I wish there was more direction and communication about what is skills maintenance and what isn’t, because I find it hard to determine.

 

Firm: John Mourits Builder Limited
Principal: John Mourits 
Location: Morrinsville
Staff: 3 staff

I run a small business, with one carpenter and one apprentice, and both myself and the carpenter have been licensed for over four years. I think licensing is a smart idea, and it’s great to see our local PlaceMakers store providing skills maintenance options through Under Construction, seminars and trade breakfasts.

While I think on-the-job learning is a good idea in theory, I think it will be hard to substantiate. The reason magazines and seminars work so well is because they aren’t part of your routine, so you put special focus on them. I think a lot of builders will struggle to determine what counts for on-the-job learning and what doesn’t, and I’m betting some builders will include stuff that isn’t really relevant. Then again, those are probably the same guys who pretend to read the magazines, or go to seminars and don’t pay attention, so I guess we’ll see.

I don’t mind reading Codewords, but I would prefer to read it in hard copy. Running a small business means that I already spend more time than I want to on the computer, doing invoicing and other admin stuff, so I’d rather do my reading elsewhere. Whether it’s during smoko or in the truck waiting for something to arrive, it’s a much nicer medium.

 

Firm: Custom Construction
Principals: Nathan Mumby  
Location: Taranaki
Staff: 24 staff

I’m a big fan of the LBP scheme – I think it’s one of the best moves the industry has made in a long time, so it’s great to see it getting some further focus. Of my 24 staff, nine are LBPs, five are office staff and the rest are apprentices. Anyone who joins my team has to be willing to become qualified – if someone isn’t confident enough to put their licence to their work, then I don’t want them working for me.

While the concept of the scheme is good, I don’t think the way the points are achieved at the moment works very well, and I don’t think the new system will work either. It’s too easy to pretend to read a magazine, or document something you already knew as on-the-job learning, instead of learning vital new information.

I think compulsory training, like they have for plumbers, is a better way to go. There should be two or three mandatory seminars each year and, if you don’t attend, you don’t get your licence renewed.

 

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All responses must be submitted by 25 April. The answers to this question will be published in Under Construction June.