Joshua Powley qualified as a plumber and gasfitter in December but says it was a frustrating experience. Photo / Ben Fraser
Plumbing apprentices are missing out on pay rises associated with classroom learning and aren't qualifying on time due to understaffing in the training sector, industry leaders say.
However, the Ministry of Education and Skills Consulting Group says the delays are due to the impact of Covid-19 and apprentices withdrawing from block courses because some employers will not release them.
Master Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers NZ chief executive Greg Wallace said it had 1237 third and fourth-year apprentices who would not complete their apprenticeship within five years and were six to nine months behind getting into block courses at polytech. A plumber, gasfitter and drainlayer apprenticeship typically took five years.
Wallace said recently three block courses across New Zealand were cancelled.
''Apprentices are missing out on pay rises as they're often synched in with classroom-based qualifications and employers can't progress them on to other jobs so they end up being glorified labourers,'' Wallace said.
At the moment the organisation was running a pilot scheme to get tutors out of the classroom to oversee qualifications on the job, which in his opinion, was the way forward.
Wallace also said apprentice ''poaching is rife'' as some companies target those in their second or third year. One boss said rival employers who poached apprentices ''take advantage of your hard work before you get to reap any of the rewards''.
In Wallace's view, it was unethical to poach apprentices and he regularly spoke to frustrated members about it.
''But there is nothing we can do to control that. It's the market dynamics of an industry being in a workforce crisis.''
The sector was already undergoing massive change as 16 Institutes of Technology and nine Industry Training Organisations transitioned into Te Pūkenga — The New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology.
That move was nearly complete but many of those spoken to by NZME said ''the apprenticeship system in New Zealand was broken'' and ''flawed''.
The Targeted Trades and Apprenticeships Fund which saw monetary initiatives given to employers would end in December while the Apprentice Boost Scheme had been extended to the end of December next year.
Joshua Powley qualified as a plumber and gasfitter in December and while he celebrated his achievement the milestone was bittersweet.
When he signed up with Skills five years ago he was led to believe it was for a plumbing, gasfitter and drainlaying apprenticeship. Powley said he was a year into the job before Skills told him it was only for plumbing and gasfitting.
''They said I could go back to doing the whole three but I'd have to start the block courses again. I wasn't interested in that.''
From the time he started his apprenticeship it was seven months before he got into his first block course, he had completed three when he discovered the apprenticeship was not the one he thought it was.
In his view, he had been mucked around and sometimes he was only given one week's notice to do a block course in Hamilton and told ''if you don't attend we don't know when the next one will be''.
The 23-year-old said he loves his job with BOP Plumbing & Gas despite the setbacks.
''I am really enjoying it. If I could picture the perfect future for me it could be doing my own thing and starting a business.''
Powley's concerns were put to Skills who said it was not appropriate to comment in the media on individual students and its team works closely with students to resolve issues.
Wintec said it was not appropriate to comment without further details.
Foleys north regional manager Wayne Fahey said the apprenticeship system had been ''flawed'' for a number of years.
''It's taking 66 months to complete a plumbing, drainage and gasfitting apprenticeship at present so it takes a long time to increase your skilled labour resources through training alone.''
''We have been putting considerable energy into training our own staff so for some time now we have had a high proportion of apprentices in Foleys [60 out of a total staff of 260].
''Understaffed training providers have struggled to cope with the increased numbers of apprentices and with Covid compounding this, we have seen some frustrating delays. There is no quick fix, but we are hopeful that things will improve over the next few years."
BOP Plumbing & Gas commercial manager Sarah Jamieson said training up from the bottom was the best way forward but it was costly for businesses.
She supported the apprenticeship boost scheme which offered incentives to employers but that would expire at the end of this year.
In her view, there was a lack of buy-in from some apprentices in the wider industry because it did not cost them anything to get qualified.
''They are very quick to move on from employers if someone else offers more money once they are two years in and actually starting to earn the employer some money. Those employers literally step in and take advantage of your hard work before you get to reap any of the rewards.
''The apprenticeship system in New Zealand is broken and needs a good hard look at and shake up.''
AJs Electrical Services manager Bruce Jeffries said it was proud to have three to four apprentices at any one time and said the incentives on offer at the moment should continue for apprenticeships.
Education Minister Chris Hipkins said some apprentices were taking longer to complete their apprenticeships as a result of Covid-related delays.
''This is nothing to do with the establishment of Te Pukenga and everything to do with lockdowns and Covid restrictions.''
He said Te Pukenga provided an opportunity to improve the connections between on-the-job and off-the-job training so that things like pre-trades courses and block courses were better aligned with apprentice needs in the future.
The Apprenticeship Boost and Targeted Training and Apprenticeship Fund initiatives also supported learners and businesses during one of New Zealand's biggest economic shocks.
"From an unprecedented investment of over $1 billion, thousands of businesses across the country were subsidised, and more than 50,000 apprentices on the job and 230,820 students have been supported so far. It's pleasing to hear positive feedback from the sector on Te Pūkenga.''
Tertiary Education Commission delivery chief executive Gillian Dudgeon said it was aware plumbing apprenticeships were taking longer than expected due to the effects of Covid restrictions, combined with increased apprentice numbers and competitive pressures around the recruitment of tutors.
A cross-sector group was working through the recommendations from a report by Waihanga Ara Rau Workforce Development Council that included developing new programmes which support more flexible ways apprentices could progress through their training.
''The initial focus is on ensuring those plumber apprentices who have been negatively impacted during Covid can complete their apprenticeship as soon as possible.''
She said it was not aware of it being a significant issue in other areas of trade training and the issues with plumbing apprenticeships predated Te Pūkenga.
The commission did not monitor the average time taken to complete apprenticeships but on average it was three to five years.
Te Pūkenga Work Based Learning chief executive Toby Beaglehole said plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying qualifications would become a part of Te Pūkenga offerings, and gain from its extensive network support.
A dedicated team has been in operation in Te Pūkenga for some months to ensure an effective transition and that industry concerns were well understood.
Skills Consulting Group was the Transitional Industry Training Organisation for plumbers and those apprentices would fall under Te Pūkenga this month.
Skills Consulting Group specialist trade general manager Lance Riesterer said apprentices continued to withdraw from block courses due to employers not releasing them.
He said apprentice numbers were up 7 per cent and had placed additional pressure on block course delivery.
It was also aware providers had been trying to recruit additional plumbing, gasfitting, drainlayer tutors for more than 12 months.
''We believe that this is due to the booming construction industry, with people who have previously been tutors going back onto the tools because of the current salaries available to them in the industry. It is particularly difficult to attract tutors out of industry in the current environment.''
A Wintec spokeswoman said it was contracted by Skills Group to deliver block courses for plumbers, gasfitters and drainlayers and it had not cancelled any courses this year.
A Waihanga Ara Rau spokeswoman said 66 months was normal for a plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying combined apprenticeship.
BCITO had seen rapid growth in its apprentice numbers since the Apprenticeship Boost was introduced in August 2020. At this time, BCITO had 13,900 apprentices across its 15 trades, and at the end of August 2022 it increased to 22,668.
Director Jason Hungerford said the Apprenticeship Boost supported employers to continue training apprentices.
BCITO was now part of Te Pūkenga – and the transition had been smooth and straightforward for both learners and employers.
''We are well placed to meet this demand.''
Competenz had 402 apprentices training in the Bay of Plenty across 13 trades including baking, fabrication and mechanical.
Competenz director Amanda Wheeler said there was a forecasted slowdown of some apprentices completing on time primarily due to Covid.
''However, we expect all learners to get back on track this year".
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