National Certificate in Glazing (Level 4)

Mike Austin says one of the most difficult things about installing glass is access, so good problem-solving skills are essential. Picture / Kenny Rodger

The course

Use of glass in contemporary architecture is very popular, partly because glass is continually undergoing technological developments that make it more and more attractive to use.

Training of glaziers and glass processors has been revised to reflect the technological advancements and changes in focus from flat glass to a diverse range of glass and glass applications.

To become a qualified glazier requires successful completion of the National Certificate in Glazing, a four-year (8000-hour) apprenticeship.

This industry emphasises on-the-job training. Formal learning is delivered in annual three-week block courses at the Glass and Glazing Institute of New Zealand in Lower Hutt.

The block courses are 50 per cent theory and 50 per cent practical. Each three-week course usually covers 10 units and each unit standard has both a theoretical and practical assessment.

Training includes handling, storage and cartage of glass, optimising, measuring and cutting glass manually and reglazing frames.

Apprentices develop skills in installation of a range of glass products including glazed framing systems, mirrors, insulated glass units, laminated and toughened glass, and solar control and specialist coated glass. They also learn how to interpret working drawings and specifications and do billings and costings.

To enter the national certificate, the wannabe apprentice must first pass an introductory level 2 course, the National Certificate in Glass and Glazing which is done by correspondence.

Once apprentices have the introductory certificate, they start working towards either the National Certificate in Glazing or the National Certificate in Glass Processing. Both are level four qualifications.

The trade suits people who pay attention to detail and enjoy being creative in a practical way. They also need a head for heights.

The apprenticeship costs $3500 over the four years. Employers often contribute partially or fully to that cost.

Once qualified, glaziers can work as contractors, foremen or managers.

They often also establish their own business, take on project management jobs, quantity surveying, sales and marketing or enter management roles.

What graduates think 

Mike Austin
Pilkington New Zealand (Ltd)
Glazier, 23
Qualified September 2004

I started working in Pilkington's factory (glass processing) and saw a glazing apprenticeship advertised on the notice board and was encouraged to apply. I've never looked back.

I really like it because I'm always out and about, on different sites and learning through different jobs. We work mainly in the commercial sector, for instance, we did the Britomart Station water feature and glass bridge.

My apprenticeship gave me the chance to fully focus on glass, learning everything from how it is processed and where it originates from to how to install it properly.

A three-week block course each year may not sound much but we had to learn heaps. We had tests every day, sometimes three in one day on stuff we had learned in the workplace and on the course. The courses helped me fill in the gaps about things I wasn't learning in my workplace because there are so many types of installation and you concentrate on certain areas in a business.

One of the most difficult things about installing glass is access. You find yourself working on a building site seven or eight levels high, with no lift installed, having to get huge sheets of glass up stairs, around 90-degree turns. That is where you really have to be able to problem-solve.

What employers think

Dave Hughes
Supervisor Pilkington NZ (Ltd)

Mike runs a small crew of his own so he is expected to go out and measure up a job and come back with details, including length of installation time.

The block course set him up well. It covered all aspects of what he now ends up doing in the workplace, including every type of glazing from wood to silicone, so he could go anywhere.

The ITO is trying to do more stuff extramurally, with mentors in the workplace, which means employers have to get more involved.

We look for apprentices who are keen and show an interest in the industry. But it is hard to show new people what glazing is about because there is far more to it than putting glass in a hole in the wall. And that is what most people imagine they'll be doing.

Qualifications

National Certificate in Glazing Level 4

Developed by the Joinery Industry Training Organisation, the development and standard setting industry body. Delivered through the Glass and Glazing Institute, Lower Hutt

Ph (04) 385 8814 or 0800 10 55 88