2006 has been another busy year for the Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation (BCITO) as the team has continued to work with the construction industry to meet the demand for skilled and qualified workers.
More than 9000 apprentices are presently registered in training, up from 8150 in 2005.
Construction allied trades skills
The BCITO is working with a number of construction-related industry training organisations on a new initiative to be introduced into schools from 2008.
The Building and Construction Allied Trades Skills (BCATS) will focus on construction and the broad range of skills required in the industry.
BCATS is all about getting a taste for the construction industry. The workshop projects will encourage a broad use of materials and designs that do not focus on a single trade pathway. The aim is to make it easier for students to enter a career in the sector.
Numbers in training
The number of apprentices in training increased across all construction sectors during 2006. More than 9000 apprentices are currently signed into training agreements with around 4500 employers, and more than 850 apprentices completed their qualifications this year. Growth was experienced across all sectors, with the biggest increase occurring in carpentry.
Marketing and awareness campaign
The second Building Careers Week was held from September 11 to 17 to raise awareness of careers in the construction industry.
The campaign centred on the key theme “Choose a Career and a Life”, highlighting the work/life balance that the construction industry can offer. It included a competition on “The Rock” radio station, a nationwide billboard campaign, articles in local newspapers and the BCITO Build-Ability Challenge.
It fuelled interest in the sector and provided much needed information about the training opportunities available.
An annual favourite of Building Careers Week was the BCITO Build-Ability Challenge. Fifteen schools across the country entered teams of students who worked together to construct a dog kennel.
The challenge was sponsored by Mitre 10 and Pink Batts, and the kennels were donated to the local SPCA.
The BCITO continued to have a strong presence at careers expos, local trade expos hosted by schools and the many industry training graduations that took place across the country.
Carpentry industry consultation forums
As part of a major review of the National Certifi cate in Carpentry qualification, the BCITO held 15 industry consultation forums nationwide.
The forums gave stakeholders the opportunity to provide feedback on the qualification and have some input into the review. The review process will continue into 2007.
Research commissioned
As part of its commitment to being a leader in industry training, the BCITO commissioned research into key areas during the year including Women in Construction, the Untapped Resource?
This masters research project report details the results of a study conducted during 2005/06 into the situation of tradeswomen in the New Zealand construction industry.
The report will aid the BCITO in the development of its Industry Skills Strategy that is due for release at the end of 2006. The report highlights current trends and barriers in the sector with respect to women, and six key recommendations are made for improving the attraction and retention of females in the industry.
Customer service
The BCITO team continued to grow in 2006 as staff recruitment continued to meet the servicing requirements of an increased client base. A new training and development team of six training advisors has been put in place to facilitate the delivery of 4098 workplace assessor training courses, leading many regions to take on new field staff to ensure clients continue to receive the same high level of service.
For more information contact the BCITO on 0800 422 486 or visit www.bcito.org.nz.
