Media Release

5 February

Local Trainees And Firms Celebrated

For the first time in Whangarei’s history the contribution that employers, employees and industry training organisations make to our District is going to be publicly celebrated.

About 140 people have been invited to receive their industry training certificates at the Mayoral Taskforce for Jobs Inaugural Industry Training Graduation 2013 at Toll Stadium (Northland Events Centre), on Thursday 14 February 2013.

“For decades employers have put trainees through their paces, thousands of employees have spent hours of time in private study, attending courses, submitting work for assessment, gaining valuable qualifications,” said Whangarei District Council Economic Development Manager Peter Gleeson.

“Because of all this work going on behind the scenes, trainees (young and old) have been able to earn a living and develop top quality skills here, at home, in our District. They haven’t had to leave town to get work or to get a qualification, and that is incredibly important for our economic development. While economic growth draws new people into our community, economic development helps to enrich what we already have here, providing stability and developing areas of excellence.

“In the past these achievements have sometimes been under-recognised because graduations from industry training have tended to be quite small affairs, often involving individual workplaces or simply a certificate in the mail, so all this great work has been going on invisibly, without the fanfare of graduation marches or capping ceremonies.

“This is where the Mayoral Taskforce for Jobs is playing an important role across the country, providing opportunities for employers, employees and industry training organisations to be recognised with a bit of a fanfare at the local level, through the special leadership role that Mayors have.”

Trainees, their employers, families and supporters will all be encouraged to attend this function.

The qualifications are spread across a wide spectrum that includes: community support (residential), health disability and aged support, youth leadership, mechanical engineering, baking – instore/franchise, refrigeration and air conditioning; electrical engineering, security (event and site), horticulture, civil construction works, business (first line management), agrichemical application (livestock), civil infrastructure, roadmarking, glazing, joinery/cabinetry, marine, steel, wooden boatbuilding, automotive, motorcycle, canvas fabrication, trailer boat building, panelbeating, printing, retail, sports turf maintenance, wastewater treatment and water reticulation/treatment.

“The work of these organisations, employees and trainees helps to build our future by providing a home-grown pool of skills and services that will sustain our District into the future. It helps to forge our identity as a District where people can enjoy all the natural and cultural assets unique to this place, while developing skills and earning a living,” Mr Gleeson said.

ENDS

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