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THIS EDITION’S ROUND-UP OF NEWS FROM THE MASTER PLUMBERS OWNED MASTERLINK GROUP TRAINING SCHEME. Masterlink milestones
Each edition, we welcome the newest Masterlink apprentices and congratulate those who have completed their qualifications.
WELCOME!
■ Breyton Lenee ■ Adam Clark ■ Henry Kircher ■ Matt Bird ■ Jordan Lang ■ Jesse Stevens
QUALIFIED!
PLUMBING & GASFITTING Bradley Primmer, Simon Cavey and Lyndon Johnston PLUMBING Jack Swain GASFITTING Wade Williams, Ezra Edwards and Patrick Sweeney DRAINLAYING Cameron Jaques
NEW HOSTS
Masterlink is grateful to host businesses around New Zealand, who commit to training plumbing, drainlaying and gasfitting apprentices—helping them get qualified and started on a great career. Our most recent new hosts are: ■ Jets Plumbing and Pumps ■ Scott Plumbing ■ Hunter Plumbing & Drainage ■ Fineline Plumbing ■ Heath Hill Plumbing ■ Bays Plumbing
Harrison Muir, who works at Cape Plumbing Ltd, was presented with his Plumbing & Gasfitting National Certificates post lockdown, having qualified in February.
APPRENTICESHIP BOOST FUNDING AVAILABLE NOW
The government’s Apprenticeship Boost funding kicked in on 5 August, providing some excellent financial support for plumbing, drainlaying and gasfitting apprentices and those who train them.
Employers who take on a new apprentice now are eligible to receive up to $16,000 through this initiative, which sees employers receiving $1,000 per month for the first year and $500 per month for the second year of the apprenticeship for a total of 20 months (until April 2022). As the employer, Masterlink will pass on this funding direct to hosts.
New and existing apprentices also enjoy free training fees for 2.5 years from 1 July 2020 to 31 December 2022.
Want more details? Get in touch with Masterlink on 0800 502 102; admin@masterlink.co.nz
David Lu of David Lu Plumbing is shown here with his Masterlink apprentice Enrico in the digger. David will get the Apprenticeship Boost funding for his new drainlaying apprentice Jordan, who recently joined the team through Masterlink. Jordan and Enrico will also benefit from the government’s free fees training for the next 2.5 years.
Get to know our Regional Managers Over the next few editions, we profile the Masterlink Regional Managers to find out what makes them tick.
Our six Regional Managers play a big part in Masterlink’s mentored apprenticeships programme, supporting apprentices and their host companies as our apprentices work towards getting qualified. This includes regular contact and quarterly appraisals, sourcing ‘superstar’ candidates for hosts, and promoting the plumbing industry as a career to potential apprentices.
GET IN TOUCH
Need an apprentice in your business? Masterlink Regional Managers are here to help.
Russell Walsh is based in Hamilton and covers the Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Rotorua, Taupo and Taumarunui regions. A Certifying Plumber and Gasfitter, Russell started and ran a mid-sized plumbing and gasfitting business before moving into sales and operations management. This included several roles for corporates, including Nova Energy and Genesis Energy.
He lives on a lifestyle block just out of Hamilton with wife Kirsty and their puppy Bella. Their two grown daughters also live and work in Hamilton. A member of the Hamilton Hawkes Running Club and Tongariro Ski Club, Russell also enjoys mountain biking “despite the increasing number of unscheduled dismounts occurring over the last year or two”.
“My weekly spare time routine generally includes running, gardening, pool club, red wine social group, chilling with my wife and hooking up with my Little Buddy from the Big Buddy Programme to play basketball,” he says.
Tania Forsyth Auckland & Northland 027 558 5441 Sam Timlin Upper South Island 021 433 615 Bob McCoy Lower North Island 027 479 0075
Russell Walsh Central North Island
027 600 9929 Colin Kilpatrick Auckland
021 773 296 Brendan Parker Lower South Island 021 644 560
