Choose a career and a life

0
1290

Building on the success of the 2005 campaign, the BCITO held its second Building Careers Week on September 11 to 17. 

 

The promotion aims to raise awareness of career opportunities in the construction industry and highlight the trades as a fi rst choice career option for school leavers. 

 

People already working in the industry will know construction can offer a great lifestyle, and this year’s promotional message — Choose a Career and a Life — highlighted the work/life balance that the industry can offer. Leading up to the week, the BCITO Build-Ability Challenge was again a popular event. 

 

Fifteen schools across the country entered teams of students involved in the BCITO’s ECS (Elementary Construction Skills) course to build a dog kennel. The challenge was supported by Mitre 10 and Pink Batts, and the fi nished kennels were donated to local SPCA branches. 

 

The project aimed to create an opportunity for students to experience first hand the real life demands of a building project and the impact they can have on their community when working with their hands. The entries were judged on their record of work, similar in format to those that an apprentice must complete as part of their training. 

 

The team from Raglan Area School stood out as the winners of the competition. The judges were impressed with their record of work, which was a well presented and detailed documentation of the construction process, from the brainstorming and design stages to planning and construction. 

 

The students came up with an innovative design and worked well together as a team to meet the challenges of the project and construct a sound dog kennel. Tauranga Boys’ College were Highly Commended for their entry, which the judges said was of a high standard and clearly documented the unfussy but technically clever design the team created. 

 

BCITO regional teams also hosted 11 open nights around the country to provide people interested in gaining a qualifi cation in the construction industry with an informal and accessible way to learn about the career opportunities that are available. 

 

Attendance at all the evenings was positive, and they proved a valuable opportunity for people to drop in and get the low down on BCITO qualifi cations. 

 

Other activities during Building Careers Week included a radio promotion with The Rock to win sporting goods, billboard advertising at 22 sites in main centres throughout New Zealand, internet and magazine advertising and a poster slap around many towns.

Previous articleDavid replaces David at PlaceMakers
Next articleReinforcing bar markings make identifi cation easier