Whitireia Construction And Engineering Trades on the move

Whitireia Construction And Engineering Trades Training on the Move

Construction and engineering trades training is relocating to the Whitireia Wi Neera Drive campus in Porirua.

“For many years construction and engineering trades training has been delivered out of public sight at the Mohuia trades centre in Porirua. Due to the scale of our trades training delivery and demand for skilled trades graduates we are relocating from the Mohuia site to the main Porirua campus on Wi Neera Drive,” says Chris Gosling Chief Executive Whitireia and WelTec.

“To facilitate this move we are investing in new trades facilities which will accommodate a range of trades including carpentry, electrical, and automotive engineering in 2018. The new workshops, classrooms and computer labs will also be accessed by Trades Academy students who will benefit from an enhanced tertiary experience.

“We have already started our mid-year carpentry programme at the new site with the construction of a three-bedroom house well underway. The move has attracted lots of public and community interest and enquiries for our trades training programmes have increased.

“The move onto the main Whitireia campus is a significant step forward as we realise our plans to further strengthen our trades training delivery through the Wellington Regional School of Construction and the Wellington School of Engineering.

“This second phase of establishing a Wellington-wide network of tertiary education trades training provision will see the completion of two main hubs centred on Petone and Porirua, and eventually preparatory programmes available across our region,” says Chris Gosling.

“We will now be able to provide students and staff with improved facilities and access to the full range of services available at the main Porirua campus. The relocation will also give our important trades training more visibility and profile in the local community,” says Neil McDonald Head of Construction at Whitireia and WelTec.

“Along with current programmes we will now be able to look at offering ITO delivery on site as we do at Petone which will enhance our programme offerings providing more opportunities for students to study at Whitireia.”

Graham Carson Head of Engineering at Whitireia and WelTec commented that attracting more people to study engineering at Whitireia could only be good for local employers. “There are a lot of engineering companies in Porirua and on the Kāpiti Coast. We know there is a skills shortage in the engineering trades.

“By moving our delivery to the Wi Neera Drive campus we will increase the visibility of engineering trades training and attract more students to these programmes. We look forward to welcoming local industry and secondary school students to our new facilities in 2018,” says Graham Carson.

ENDS

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