Training body wears employer's hat

A Rotorua training institution has set itself up as an employer to enable its students to complete apprenticeships hassle-free.

Construction and Trades Training on Pererika St was among training institutions visited yesterday by Labour Party deputy leader Grant Robertson and tertiary spokeswoman Megan Woods.

The pair are touring the regions to find what opportunities for trade training are available.

The institute's chairman, Peter Wilson, told them it was one of the first trade training providers in New Zealand and going from strength to strength.

"We've got some exciting things happening," he said. "We've fulfilled our allocation [for the Canterbury rebuild scheme] and we've got people waiting for the next intake. We've set up a building company and we'll use our students."

Construction and Trades Training has also set itself up to take on students at the end of the course and "host them" to other employers, which means they complete their apprenticeship under one employer.

"What we want to make a focus for Labour is around the trades," Mr Robertson said.

"As a country we went away from that and we're now suffering the consequences.

"We've got to put things together, our goal is for everyone under the age of 20 to be in employment, training or trade," he said.

Mr Robertson and Ms Woods also visited Te Waiariki Purea Trust, Waiariki Institute of Technology and Grow Rotorua.