Construction tour an eye-opener for students (+video)

Tauranga high school students had an inside view into the construction world as part of BCITO's annual Big Construction Tour yesterday.

Tauranga Boys' College Year 12 student Johnathan Watson, 17, was amongst the 50 students who visited Truss and Frame in Tauranga for a demonstration.

Mr Watson, who is interested in becoming a builder, has worked through the Gateway programme at his school and completed a week's work experience with a local building company.

"You really feel like you're part of the trade and in a routine."

He said he has enjoyed seeing things progress from the floor up and liked working as a team.

Tauranga Boys' College career broker Rob Sperling said BCITO had provided great opportunities for students to get a taste of the trades industry.

"They are one of the few who are pro-active with schools, they come in and talk and really get to know the kids."

He said this had allowed them to match the right student with the right employer and culture of the business.

Through the Gateway programme, employers had been able to test the resilience of students and if they didn't do well the employers were happy to tell them what didn't work, said Mr Sperling.

Helen Hines-Randall, an industry advocate for BCITO, said yesterday's event was about attracting the students and ensuring they were more work ready. She said it was important to capture their interests while they were young.

More than 1000 students visited construction sites as part of BCITO's Big Construction Tour yesterday which took place in more than 14 cities nationwide.