The Building & Construction Industry Training Organisation (BCITO) has announced the roll-out of the New Zealand Certificate in Carpentry (Level 4) which all new carpentry apprentices will now enrol in.
The qualification has been developed as part of the BCITO’s commitment to industry to regularly update all qualifications and ensure they reflect the skills and knowledge required by modern trade professionals.
This New Zealand Certificate replaces the previous National Certificate in Carpentry (Level 4), and means that learners will benefit from integrated assessment, the bundling of tasks into skill sets, and the recognition of their capability with a programme that is fit for today’s ever-evolving work environment.
BCITO chief executive Warwick Quinn says like all the BCITO’s qualifications, this new release is the result of extensive consultation in partnership with industry.
“We sincerely thank industry for their strong support, and helping us produce an outstanding qualification to support the next generation of qualified professionals,” Mr Quinn says.
“The training process has developed significantly over the past two decades, and is competency-based (rather than time served).
“Trainees and apprentices are assessed on their actual skills, and qualifications are awarded based on those skills.
“The process ensures that people with BCITO qualifications have the right all-round skills required by the industry.”
The new qualification is specifications-based, which means assessments are carried out against skill sets rather than against individual unit standards.
That means the qualification is broken down into skill sets providing detailed descriptions and additional commentary around what an apprentice needs to “know” and “do”.
The skill sets related to a qualification are considered a family of standards, with each one inherently linked to all the others for that trade.
To complement learning, the BCITO has developed a new set of printed resources (commonly referred to in conversations with apprentices as “your books”).
While the previous set of learning materials were very comprehensive, for many, the overwhelming amount of information was often intimidating.
The new books have been completely rewritten and redesigned to ensure they focus on delivering the most critical information to support practical learning on site in a way that is accessible, effective and visually appealing.
The development of these resources included the design of hundreds of illustrations which the BCITO says will help improve comprehension by making it easier for apprentices to relate what they see in a book to the practical application at work.
The text has been intentionally written to minimise academic jargon and terminologies.
It is focused and supported by the extensive use of full-colour illustrations and images that break down key construction concepts and techniques into manageable chunks of learning.
The new resources are being rolled out to apprentices who are currently in the first two years of their training, and those who are enrolled in the BCITO’s experience recognition process.
They will be delivered to any new carpentry apprentices who sign up from now on.
“The design of these resources puts us in the prime position to enhance them as we evolve to the use of digital tools and provide the experience of online learning in the near future,” Mr Quinn says.
