The Prime Minister was in Hawke's Bay today with a line-up of duties to perform. But one in particular stood out.
At 2.30pm John Key opened EIT's newest facility, an $8m Trades and Technology Training Centre at its Taradale campus.
On recent visits to the campus, I've managed to peek at the state-of-the-art
centre under construction. It is a wonder of gleaming new technology that students of carpentry, panel beating, automotive work, gas welding, machining and other trades are going to absolutely love working and learning in.
The new centre replaces old facilities from the 1970s and its very existence underlines the importance of trades education and the strides made in delivering that training at EIT in recent years.
At 3900 sq m, the floor area is almost double that of the former workshop facilities. It has a flexible open-plan layout which will allow EIT students to maximise the "real-world" trades training methods now being taught.
EIT's website explains that "real world" training means that carpentry students, for example, learn all the stages of construction by building small houses on site. These cottages can be worked on under cover or wheeled outdoors to a secure yard that forms part of the complex.
EIT's carpentry programmes were at the forefront of a move to more project-based learning in other trades and technology programmes.
Today was a proud day for EIT and for the wider Bay as this is a significant investment in our region's future, so it was fitting that Mr Key was present for the grand opening.
The good news is that if you were not invited to today's ceremony, on Sunday from 11am-2pm there is an open day at the Taradale campus with demonstrations and displays including the first opportunity for the public to view the Trades and Technology Training Centre.
