ELE Group collapse: Artisan manufacturer offers apprenticeship interview to laid-off workers

Some of the ELE company workers laid off a few days before Christmas have been offered job interviews at an Auckland manufacturer.

Ian Neary, of Designer Plaster, said he needed another employee for his business and he approached former ELE tradespeople now out of work.

The fibrous plaster manufacturer said he followed news of the estimated 1000 worker layoffs and the efforts community members had made to support those workers.

Construction industry and community groups joined forces to help laid-off ELE Group workers in East Tāmaki yesterday. Photo / Sylvie Whinray

“I thought this is probably a good opportunity,” Neary said.

Neary attended an East Tāmaki barbecue held by industry and community groups yesterday and said four people were lined up for interviews.

“I’m offering an apprenticeship job.

“We make curves and radiuses and cornices. It’s a very, very challenging and interesting job. Basically you become a bespoke artisan.”

Neary said it was a specialised trade and would probably die out in New Zealand unless he found new people to train.

He said his company had big projects lined up, including at Auckland’s SkyCity convention centre and the St James Theatre refurbishment.

Anna and Alvin Casaje from Migrante Aotearoa in Canterbury, an organisation helping an estimated 100 Filipino workers in the region who lost their jobs when five ELE companies collapsed.

Another Auckland man who read about the ELE collapse contacted the Herald to offer a carpentry job to one of the laid-off workers.

An estimated 750 of the workers who lost their jobs are Filipino.

Five ELE companies went into receivership on December 20.

Staff worked in the building, engineering, transport, horticulture and healthcare sectors.

Meanwhile, Migrante Aotearoa’s Canterbury chapter distributed food packs to affected ELE workers in Christchurch yesterday.

Alvin Casaje, Migrante Aotearoa co-ordinator, said about 100 ELE Group workers laid off were in Canterbury.

The distribution followed a foodbank initiative in Auckland where hundreds of parcels were distributed.

AFFECTED WORKERS CAN EMAIL AEWVworkerresponse@mbie.govt.nz FOR HELP WITH IMMIGRATION ISSUES.