He Toki students demonstrate their skills fo royal visit

He Toki ki te Rika (Māori trades training) students and graduates will be demonstrating some of the skills they have learnt, when Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall visit the Re:start Mall today.

Seven He Toki students and graduates are competing against each other building planter boxes, which will be donated to the community.

The trade training programme was launched last year to get Māori ready to be part of the rebuild. The project is led by Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu in partnership with CPIT and Hawkins.

He Toki students are taught in a cultural environment, which involves tikanga and use of te reo. The He Toki pre-trade training courses are 12 to 20 weeks long covering programmes in carpentry, painting and decorating, plasterboard, plumbing, masonry, fabricating, drain laying, wielding and engineering.

Since the programme started over 200 students have been through the course.

He Toki students also complete the work readiness passport, which was designed by Hawkins to prepare graduates for the workplace. The passport teaches the students work ready skills such as CV writing, gaining site safe certificates and driver’s license preparation.

Te Auhia Solomon, Tuhiku Solomon, Raniera Matiu, Larena Iti, Amos Neate, Kama Ratana and Garry Nicolas are the current students or graduates of the He Toki programme who will be showing off their skills during the royal visit.

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