Raising builders' standards focus of seminar

Raising builders' standards focus of seminar

Builders and carpenters have been invited to a seminar on how to raise the standards in their industry.

UNITEC's Applied Technology Institute is holding the evening seminar, which includes a talk by Gary Shuttleworth, from the Certified Builders Association (CBA), and information on courses tradesmen can take to up-skill.

Rex Harrison, head of UNITEC's building technology school, said the report by building professionals on the leaky building crisis highlighted a number of major issues facing the building sector. "There is a public perception of declining skill levels in our industry, shown by some poor workmanship practices."

The reasons given in the report included problems with the apprenticeship system and a lack of skilled labour.

"The evening at UNITEC will show builders some of the things we can do to raise standards, such as the advantages of becoming a registered certified builder," Mr Harrison said.

According to the report, of the 16,000 building companies and individual builders in New Zealand only 2000 are members of the CBA, a builders association requiring its members to have formal qualifications and relevant experience.

As well as professional membership, Mr Harrison said a sound educational and training programme was essential to ensure high standards across the industry. "This would eliminate the 'monkey see - monkey do' outcome you get from training programmes that don't have a theoretical underpinning."

UNITEC offers a Diploma in Applied Technology and has a bachelors degree under development. Mr Harrison said these would help to address the need for more educated practitioners, and he hoped the seminar would give an opportunity for those in the trade to learn more about the qualifications.

What: UNITEC Applied Technology Institute's Get Together
When: Monday 7 October, 7.30pm.
Where: Oakridge House, Entry Four, UNITEC, Carrington Rd, Mt Albert.

© Scoop Media