The Big Construction Tour is back, and this year it’s bigger than ever. Early this month more than 1000 hand-picked students hit New Zealand roads and spent the day visiting construction-related workplaces with the Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation’s (BCITO’s) Big Construction Tour.
Now in its second year, the nationwide tour, which introduces students to the ever-increasing opportunities available in the construction industry, has grown substantially.
Individual tours will be held in more than 14 New Zealand cities and towns, allowing students from 127 schools to visit worksites and premises, showcasing some of the country’s biggest construction sites and highlighting why a career in construction is a fantastic path.
The Tour is a key part of the BCITO’s strategy to support the Government’s goal of meeting the growing demand for apprentices, which was highlighted in the 2016 Budget, BCITO chief executive Warwick Quinn says.
“Our country needs more young people to learn the skills and attributes that are in such high demand.
“School leavers who decide they want to start an apprenticeship can be confident they won’t struggle to get work, there are so many great opportunities,” he says.
“We want to offer students a real experience of the construction industry, and encourage them to consider the wide range of opportunities a career in the trades could offer them.”
Individual tours will be taking place in Auckland, Hamilton, Cambridge, Tauranga, Rotorua, Gisborne, Hastings, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch, Dunedin and Invercargill.
The Tour will take students through a number of key sites in their respective locations to showcase the innovation taking place in the construction industry, and introduce them to some of the 15 trades the BCITO offers, Mr Quinn says.
“They will be able to hear what a ‘day in the life’ of a tradie is like first-hand from apprentices working on site. It will also provide an opportunity for students to connect with industry leaders who may be their future employers.”
