There are 110 mechanical engineering vacancies in Hawke's Bay. Photo / Supplied
There are 110 mechanical engineering vacancies in Hawke's Bay. Photo / Supplied
Mechanical engineering emerges as new demand hotbed for jobs in the trades
New Zealand needs more than 8000 new mechanical engineering apprentices to meet the industry's demand over the next five years. In Auckland alone, more than 3000 people are needed, while there are 110 mechanical engineering vacancies in Hawke'sBay.
"The mechanical engineering sector, like all engineering sectors, is in growth mode, which makes it an exciting sector to be part of. There is significant demand for skilled labour for both new roles and replacement or succession roles," industry training organisation (ITO) Competenz chief executive, Fiona Kingsford said.
The mechanical engineering sector contributed $5508 million GDP in 2018, employing more than 25,000 people, an increase of 2.5 per cent on the previous year.
Kingsford said the data highlights the opportunity for mechanical engineering apprentices at a time when NZQA is assessing if some apprenticeship training should be recognised at the same level as university – ultimately shifting peoples' perceptions of trade careers. She says apprentices come out highly qualified and competent and having their skills recognised at the same level as university means the pathways into trades from school will become more direct, like they are in other countries such as Germany and Scandinavia.
Hawke's Bay Hospitality and Accommodation trade show
Hospitality New Zealand has launched the Hospitality and Accommodation Trade Show in Hawke's Bay. The show will host more than 30 commercial suppliers that will promote and sell different products that will help benefit and improve local businesses in the hospitality and accommodation industries. Suppliers include the likes of Sky, Eftpos New Zealand, Sleepyhead, Genesis, Big Save, Booking.com, City and Guilds, Healthpak, Noel Leeming, OfficeMax, New Zealand STAAH, Seekom, Aider and loads more. Visit these exhibitors and find out more about the products and services that may help all businesses. All local businesses in the Hawke's Bay region will benefit from connecting with different suppliers to help grow and promote their business in the hospitality industry. The one day event will be held at the Napier Conference Centre on Tuesday October 15 2019, 10am–5pm.
The Vegan Pie Awards are just around the corner and one Napier pie maker is looking to take home the top honour. Owner of Goodtime Pie Co in Napier, Paul Barber has entered in the awards and hopes to have the same success past winners have had in boosting their business in Hawke's Bay. Last year's landslide winner, Richoux Patisserie, says its business has seen a massive 40 per cent increase since starting to make vegan pies. More than 90 pies entered last year's awards. The awards will be judged on World Vegan Day, November 1, at The Butcher's Son in Ponsonby. Registrations are open until October 24.
A look at the week's business news in Hawke's Bay. Photo / File
Hawke's Bay Business Hub seminars
The Hawke's Bay Business Hub has a couple of one-day courses coming up on November 12 and 13 around how to best work with and handle staff in the workplace. The first, on Tuesday 12, 9am–12pm, is titled Conducting Disciplinary Meetings. This half-day course will teach you how to correctly prepare prior to the meeting, the steps to follow during and the actions to take once the meeting has been wrapped up. The next, on Wednesday 13, 9am–4pm, is about working around the Holiday Act and how to satisfy employees requests as well as keeping productivity. On this course you will learn how you can keep the business rolling and satisfy your employees' leave requests while remaining compliant with the Holidays Act. Further information and costs relating to these courses can be found on the Hawke's Bay Business Hub website.
