UP Education Acquires G&H Training Limited

• New Zealand’s largest independent tertiary education group ramps up its trades training footprint
• Acquires two regional campuses and five managed apprenticeship support bases in the North Island
• UP Education is well placed to train more New Zealanders to fill some of the 4,800 new jobs expected per annum in the construction sector [1]

New Zealand’s largest independent vocational education provider, UP Education, has acquired G&H Training Limited (G&H), a private training establishment delivering trades training and managed apprenticeships.

UP Education Group CEO, Mark Rushworth says the acquisition allows UP Education to expand its trades training outside of Auckland, where it currently has three existing training facilities operating under the NZMA brand.

“We are delighted to have acquired G&H, giving UP Education a much stronger regional presence with campuses in Napier, New Plymouth and Whangārei, along with managed apprenticeship programmes in Taranaki, Napier, Whangārei, Auckland and Hamilton,” explains Rushworth.

“G&H Training fits perfectly within UP Education given its focus on delivering in-demand training and educational excellence, and provides UP Education with the capability to deliver accredited managed apprenticeships.

“With 30 years of industry experience, G&H has a proven track record in delivering meaningful educational outcomes and equipping students with the skills and experience they need to successfully work in a trades industry that is desperate for more staff.

“The training delivered at G&H strongly aligns with the government’s investment in trades training and apprenticeships, aimed at addressing the ongoing critical skill shortages in the construction sector. With G&H joining the UP Education group, we are well placed to keep developing the construction workforce of the future” says Rushworth.

Construction in almost all regions is expected to grow consistently to 2023. The expected growth includes Auckland by 26%, Waikato/Bay of Plenty by 22% and Wellington by 25%. The ‘Rest of New Zealand’ is expected to grow by 10%[2].

“To help meet our skills shortages we need to intensify our focus on training our homegrown talent,” says Rushworth.

The Targeted Training and Apprenticeship Fund has been incredibly successful in getting more people into the training and apprentice pipeline – but we need to keep going if we’re going to meet future demand.”

Serving a wide range of learners from Level 1 to Level 4, G&H specialises in Carpentry, Construction, Plumbing, Gas fitting and Drain laying.

Under the new ownership, G&H’s day-to-day operations continue with its current management and staff. G&H employs 20 people and has agreements with over 100+ employers for managed apprenticeships.

G&H Managing Director, Geoffrey Goodchild, says the scale and expertise of UP Education will support G&H as it continues to train a diverse trades workforce that will be critical to New Zealand’s economic and social growth.

“The team at G&H are pleased to be joining a nationwide vocational education group of UP Education’s calibre.

“We’ve seen the incredible demand for trades training and managed apprenticeships in the past year, and with continued demand expected in the years to come, G&H is looking forward to working as part of the group as we continue to provide students with the knowledge and practical skills needed to thrive in a career in the trades,” says Goodchild.

In the past year, the number of managed apprenticeships increased by 17.6 per cent (December 2020 compared with December 2019), with learners of all ages across New Zealand leveraging free trades training fund to train for a career change.

The G&H Managed Apprenticeship in Carpentry delivers NZQA accredited pre-employment training as well as a four-year managed apprenticeship programme allowing learners to work full-time earning a wage while gaining practical skills and knowledge to work in the industry.

[1] https://www.newzealandnow.govt.nz/work-in-new-zealand/job-market-key-industries/construction

2 https://www.newzealandnow.govt.nz/work-in-new-zealand/job-market-key-industries/construction

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