New UCOL Trades programme to help boost trades workforce

News Release

Friday 13 May 2011

New UCOL Trades programme to help boost trades workforce

A new introductory trades programme will be available at Whanganui UCOL to help meet the demand for skilled tradespeople.

Executive Dean of Trades and Technology Kelly Gay says the new programme is in line with UCOL’s commitment to meet the needs of its local communities, and to work with other local providers to improve opportunities for students.

“Making this new introductory programme available to the Whanganui community will complement existing trades programme offerings, increase the region’s skill base and provide the opportunity for enhanced engagement, progression and success in tertiary education.

“Its introduction coincides with a shortage of skilled trades people, particularly in building and carpentry, made more acute by needs arising from recent natural disasters, including the Christchurch earthquakes.

The new programme, the Certificate in Trade Skills Level 1, will be delivered using existing UCOL staff in collaboration with Whanganui-based trades training school INTRANZ. It will start in Semester Two, in August.

“As the programme title suggests, the key aim is to provide students with foundation trade skills in Carpentry, Mechanical Engineering and Welding, Automotive and Electrical,” Mr Gay says. “It will be of great value to school students who think they might like to enter trades, but don’t really know where to start. This will give them a taste of all the trades and set them onto a path towards their preferred career. “

Mr Gay says this means the new programme is complimentary to, and will be a feeder into, other programmes offered by local tertiary education providers.”

He says all providers offering programmes in the fields covered will be invited to speak to the students and provide them with information about stair-cased programmes so they can make informed decisions on further study choices.

The new UCOL programme was successfully introduced at the Palmerston North campus this semester and has attracted a wide range of students, including school leavers and more mature students looking to make a new career in a trades area.

Mr Gay says UCOL is also exploring the possibility of resurrecting the delivery of the National Certificate in Welding Level 3, responding to an industry need for specialist welders. This programme may also be delivered in Semester 2 this year.

The Matapihi ki te Ao campus is the base for the Whanganui Tertiary Education Collaborative Venture or WTECV which sees Whanganui UCOL working with private education providers to improve opportunities. The venture won a national award for successful cooperation from ITP New Zealand, representing New Zealand polytechnics and institutes of technology.

The judges said: “Convinced that more can be achieved for the city’s learners by working together, Whanganui’s public and private education providers joined forces. The River City collaboration has resulted in improvements in student participation, success and progression. It is a model for how the most can be made out of limited resources by building trust.”

ENDS

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