Bay of Plenty Plumbing and Gas apprentices Josh Kenyon (left) and Brad Charles. Photo / Andrew Warner
Bay of Plenty Plumbing and Gas apprentices Josh Kenyon (left) and Brad Charles. Photo / Andrew Warner
Rotorua apprentices are filling the gap created by a major shortage of qualified tradespeople in the city.
The businesses are opting to hire apprentices and run the risk of training them up for no return as it's the "best option" right now.
Some have had positions available for qualified workersfor months, while others are choosing to pull job advertisements altogether due to a lack of applicants.
Bay of Plenty Gas and Plumbing co-owner Sarah Jamieson said there was little point advertising for qualified workers because the level of interest did not stack up.
She said the only applicant she had for a qualified plumber, gas fitter or drain layer was from India and it was not an uncommon occurrence.
The situation had been like that for at least the past four or five years and the only solution had been to take on apprentices and at the moment the company had seven.
Aotea Electric Rotorua managing director Adam Harlick says he has had problems trying to find qualified tradies. Photo / File
Aotea Electric Rotorua managing director Adam Harlick said he had the same problem trying to look for qualified tradies.
He had been advertising for one since before lockdown and had not had any luck, he said.
More apprentices are training in the trades. Photo / Getty Images
John Newton Panel & Paint owner Darrin Palmer said it was nearly impossible to find qualified tradespeople as many headed into early retirement due to the physical challenges of the job.
Palmer had five apprentices on staff and would love more because it was "the best option" for them and they could train them up how they like, he said.
One was even a qualified spraypainter, who was training for his panel-beating ticket, he said.
He chose not to advertise for apprentice positions and relied on "word of mouth" because he found it got him workers who were passionate about cars, not just about the pay cheque, he said.
The Government's apprentice scheme was saving him more than $6000 a year because the business would traditionally pay for them, he said.
He said they were booked out for the next month and they were lucky as insurance work had kept them nicely afloat post-Covid.
Masterlink regional manager Russell Walsh. Photo / Supplied
Meanwhile, Masterlink regional manager Russell Walsh said it was getting increased inquiries from plumbing businesses in the region and had a few new apprentices starting at Bay of Plenty companies next week.
For many years only about 19 per cent of the industry has been training apprentices ''so there's now a shortage of qualified tradespeople''.
It takes up to five years to complete a plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying apprenticeship and a few more years to become a certifying tradesperson, while drainlaying alone took two.
Bay of Plenty Plumbing and Gas apprentices Josh Kenyon (left) and Brad Charles. Photo / Andrew Warner
Second-year apprentice Brad Charles from BOP Plumbing and Gas said he liked the thought of being in a profession with such "job security".
"There's always going to be work in the trades."
He said he enjoyed the variety that came with every new day and it was something he would recommend to anyone to give it a go.
"Once you're qualified you always have something to fall back on. Once I've got my ticket, I could try something new but that would always be there."
He said he hoped to one day travel with his qualification because it was something he could do anywhere in the world.
His colleague, fourth-year apprentice Josh Kenyon, said he got into the trades as he had always been the "hands-on type" and wanted to get a qualification behind him without the big loan.
He said he wanted to get fully qualified with a future aspiration of owning his own business.
