Local Focus: Apprentices powering us up

Hawke's Bay's newest street is due to be handed over to Kāinga Ora in about a month's time.

The 28 homes are at the northern end of Tomoana Rd in Hastings.

This construction project, as well as providing much-needed social housing, is also training a wave of new apprentices.

Thanks to government subsidies there's been a 55 per cent increase in the number of people taking up apprenticeships since the start of the Covid pandemic.

PJ Reiri was a labourer at Tumu Timbers for 10 years and is now an apprentice plumber with Hawke's Bay Construction.

"I'm really glad I'm doing my plumbing apprenticeship and haven't looked back since," he said.

"I've been an apprentice for seven months so far and I'm enjoying my time because you're out and about quite a lot.

"I like that in the work you do you need a bit of skill as well, a bit of knowledge."

PJ Reiri says he hasn't looked back since starting his plumbing apprenticeship with Hawke's Bay Construction.

Apprentice builder Brock Te Rangi completed a six-month trial before entering his apprenticeship with Hawke's Bay Construction.

He said it was "a six-month struggle to earn the respect and to show that I had work ethic".

"I became an apprentice because I wanted to learn new skills and I want to go and get experience around the trade," he said.

"This trade can take me to many places and give me a lot of opportunities."

Apprentice builder with Hawke's Bay Construction, Brock Te Rangi, says his apprenticeship will bring many opportunities.

In last week's Budget the Government announced a $230 million spend, enabling another 24,000 apprentices to receive the support of Apprenticeship Boost nationwide.

Hawke's Bay Construction manager Kelly Allan said the apprenticeship scheme gave the company confidence to take on more apprentices.

"It enables us to take the time to help teach apprentices - make them more effective."

Allan said the scheme helped support apprentices in the first two years and in the following years they flourished becoming good members of the team.

"Hopefully the values and the work ethic we instil in them will help them become business owners in the future," he said.

Tukituki MP Anna Lorck said the Tomoana Rd development was an economic and social success.

"I'm just so proud of the Apprenticeship Boost scheme that the Government has under way," she said.

"That has made such a huge difference for a region like Hawke's Bay by building up a local industry of tradies.

"It's good for the local economy, investing in our young people for the future, and also for our region's future."

She said the "huge interest in trades in Hawke's Bay" was previously lacking and the building industry was now steadily increasing its capacity.

"Wherever I go people talk about how great it is to be seeing people learning a trade, earning a good wage through it, and that's making a big difference for a place like Hastings."