National Certificate in Maintenance and Diagnostics

By JANINE OGIER

The course: People with a practical bent for metalwork can pursue a career in the maintenance and production engineering field through an apprenticeship.

The National Certificate in Maintenance and Diagnostics, a NZQA Level 4 qualification, offers huge potential for diversity in the workplace and qualified people are in demand.

Apprentices combine paid practical experience at work with theory classes. They study through night classes one night a week for three years or by correspondence, and also attend a three-week block course once a year.

Apprentice Training New Zealand (ATNZ), a charitable trust, manages the apprenticeship. The trust employs apprentices and assigns them to employers to gain the practical skills to back up the theoretical learning organised through the industry training organisation Competenz.

Apprenticeships are available nationwide and the block course can be taken at most polytechs.

People generally take four years to complete an apprenticeship, however the required 8000 practical hours can be reduced to 6000 if an apprentice completes more course credits.

Applicants do not need to meet any specific educational requirements to become maintenance and diagnostics engineers, but School Certificate English, maths and science or NCEA equivalent is preferred.

The fees vary, but generally the practical component costs $400-$600 each year, the polytech block course is $400-$730, and the night classes or correspondence studies cost $400-$730.

What graduates think

Kirsten Heindel, 22

Fitter and turner

TP Engineering, Manukau

Graduated 2004


"At school I knew I did not want a repetitive desk job. A guidance counsellor headed me in the direction of the metalwork industry.

"In sixth form I did metalwork as a subject and went one day a week to tech for practical and theory work as well. Then I did a four-month pre-apprenticeship course at Auckland University of Technology.

"ATNZ advertised at the tech and that's how I got the apprenticeship.

"It took three-and-a-bit years.

"ATNZ were great. I did two-and-a-half years at one workplace, then for the last six months to get well-rounded training and the unit standards I needed, I switched to another workplace.

"Doing an apprenticeship and attending tech was a good way for me to train - I don't think I would have picked up the books under my own steam so it was good that attendance was compulsory.

"It can be a bit of a hard slog during an apprenticeship, but people should go for it because at the end of it you can pretty much go anywhere within the field.

"Plus it doesn't confine you if you are willing to train a little extra and I think it is well worth people giving the industry a go, just for that."

What employers think

Tony Herewini

Manager

TP Engineering, Wiri, Manukau


"Having an apprenticeship on a CV makes a big difference to me, as a job applicant would then have enough skills for us to put them on the floor without us having to 'carry them' and teach them as much.

"In our game a lot of the time, because of the pressures we are under getting some of our projects out of the door, we do not have the time to spend teaching.

"So it helps if people already have some of the skills.

"But even after an apprenticeship people still need to pick up more skills, and that only comes with time.

"There's a shortage of people in our industry - if I could I would take on another 30 people tomorrow.

"I do some mentoring at a local school, trying to get kids interested in engineering at an early age.

"Kirsten spoke to the kids and they were quite blown away by her. You could see them thinking, 'She's a girl and if she can do it, we can do it.'

"The job pays well and there's always a shortage of skilled people in our field.

"The ATNZ scheme is good. To run a business is hard and having ATNZ organising the apprenticeship takes a load off our back and you don't have to worry about it."

The qualification

National Certificate in Maintenance and Diagnostics

Apprentice Training New Zealand with Competenz and polytechs

Phone: 0800 692 869

Competenz

Apprentice Training New Zealand


Email: ATNZ

Indicative salary: First-year apprentice $22,500; once qualified $45,000 to $120,000