KEY POINTS:
A new pre apprenticeship scheme by Allied Work Force Group is filling a gap for school leavers and the unemployed.
Allied Workforce (AWF) is readily recognised by its 0800LABOUR branding and labour hire reputation. But this year, the company has also introduced training for school leavers and the unemployed.
Joe Sheck is one of the inaugural group of 18 school leavers to successfully complete AWF's Allied Technical Training School course. He moves into an apprenticeship with NSP Holdings early next year.
During his last year at Tangaroa College, Joe had been semi-promised an apprenticeship but that came to nothing, much to his disappointment.
So when his carpentry technology teacher, Lester Elliott, got AWF tutor Tom Cherrington to talk about their training course which included immediate work and possible apprenticeships, Joe signed up along with four other Tangaroa students. The school leavers were given casual AWF labouring jobs over summer to give them a taste of the industry before committing to training.
The trainees spend two days a week in the classroom doing up to 40 unit standards and another three days working as AWF labourers.
"This is about 40 per cent of a national certificate so it is like a pre apprenticeship course," says Alex Hurtubise, of Allied Technical Training.
It was a long year, says Joe. "We started off on sites cleaning up and digging holes; but along the way we started doing better things."
His most recent workplace was the Albany Westfield development.
"We were there a while and learned good skills, like timber and steel framing, ceilings, gibbing, and plastering."
Although AWF talked of apprenticeships in 2008, Joe decided to cover all bases and also approached builders on sites. "Tom [tutor] encouraged us to do this and it worked for me."
The AWF course is filling a big gap, says Elliott. "Last year I rang 30 builders in South Auckland and no one wanted an apprentice."
He suspects this is because most builders now work to contracts and don't have time to train apprentices.
He says the summer work gave them a good start.
"Four decided to do the course and they've had a really good year and now other students are seeing it as a training option that doesn't involve student loans and takes away the fear of not having employment at the end. This summer we have three or four doing casual work with an eye on training."
Elliott says he did have to convince some students it would lead to training and fulltime, not casual work.
Another AWF ex-trainee, Taavao Taavao, is five months into an apprenticeship with Honeybun Builders. He heard about the AWF course at Onehunga High School. It was a good risk, he says. "It was free, I had mates going and we were able to get lots of experience on site and seemed guaranteed work at the end."
Taavao met his boss, Nick Honeybun, during his AWF placements while training. An apprenticeship was offered at the end of July.
Honeybun says two of his current three apprentices came from AWF.
"They know what they are supposed to do which I like, they've already experienced a bit of building and have the right attitude. I'm happy with them and would probably look at AWF again for apprentices."
The training was initially set up in house to help upskill crew. This expanded to school leavers this year to provide a pathway for motivated youngsters while growing AWF's skill base, explains AWF managing director Simon Hull. AWF also ran their first 12-week Straight to Work course this year for 10 Work and Income trainees, of whom five are in full work with AWF.
Out of the 18 school leavers, nine are in apprenticeships - five with the AWF apprenticeship scheme, three with builders; one with a plumber. Another four are AWF crew.
The unique thing about our training, says Hull, is the trainees are immediately putting pre apprenticeship skills into practice regularly in the workplace. AWF look for candidates in October but also take students in the new year who might have returned to school, then realised it was the wrong move. Each trainee is screened.
"We ask their motivation for wanting an apprenticeship, whether they've done construction or carpentry work before and what kind of challenges could impact negatively upon them," says Hurtubise. Even so AWF has "released" some trainees because they've not had the right attitude.
Next year AWF intends to increase its intake to 70, taking 40 school leavers, 40 Work and Income trainees and upskilling 10 crew.
AWF hopes to roll out similar courses in stores, logistics and distribution within the next year, says Hull.
