Minister Welcomes New UCOL Trades Training Centre

Thursday 11 October 2012
Minister Welcomes New UCOL Trades Training Centre.

Minister of Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment, Steven Joyce, hand sawed his way through a thick wooden plaque to open UCOL’s new Trades and Technology Training Centre.

The carved plaque, in two joined pieces, will commemorate the Minister’s official opening of the centre in Palmerston North today.

In his speech, Mr Joyce congratulated UCOL for creating the high tech centre, saying the training it provides is in line with the Government’s wish to create more and better paid jobs and to get young people into productive employment.
He noted the growing demand for skilled people in the construction industry; including for the Canterbury rebuild which he said will be bigger than expected, when it gets underway. Mr Joyce said the rebuild will create work in the construction industry over five to ten years.

He said the industry standard quality of the facilities at the new Trades and Technology Centre provides the right environment for trades learning. “With facilities like this, the students are happy in their study and feel challenged to extend their capabilities and push for success.” He also said project-based learning, such as the houses built by students inside the new centre, are a great incentive for students.

Mr Joyce had a last word for students: “get everything you can out of your study experience. It will set you up for the rest of your life.”
The Minister was given a tour of the new centre which has flexible, shared workshop space and enough room for Carpentry students to build a three bedroom house under cover. The complex includes welding bays, engineering workshops, woodworking facilities and an automotive spray painting booth; all fitted with high spec equipment and safety features.

Today’s opening was attended by around 200 representatives, mostly from the local government, education and construction sector.

Image 1 - The Hon Steven Joyce (right) prepares to saw the official opening plaque in front of the assembled guests. Also pictured UCOL CE Paul McElroy and UCOL Council Chairman Trevor Goodwin.

Image 2: UCOL Furniture Lecturer Rowan Dicks (left) with Hon Steven Joyce and UCOL CE Paul McElroy as the Minister saws the official opening plaque.

ENDS

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