Te Pūkenga welcomes New Zealand plumbers to earn and learn

Vocational training for New Zealand plumbers is now delivered by EarnLearn, which is part of Te Pūkenga – New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology.

EarnLearn–Te Pūkenga is working closely with Waihanga Ara Rau and other key industry groups to ensure training available for the country’s plumbing sector is accessible and continues to meet the needs of the industry.

In 2023, Te Pūkenga will be looking to improve the service model, through increased coordination across its network of work-based and campus-based divisions to step up the support for learners and employers.

As part of Te Pūkenga, plumbing trainees will have access to free counselling services as they complete their training and other holistic wellbeing services designed to support trainees to success. There are several lines of support available to learners and their employers in 2023:

1. Vitae counselling services for learners

Te Pūkenga offers work-based learners a free counselling service. This is offered throughout New Zealand by a provider called Vitae. Learners can make an appointment by calling 0508 664 981 (24/7) or online at vitae.co.nz

2.

Fees Free for eligible learners

First-time learners on an eligible training programme, or those whose first tertiary education was covered by the now-closed

Targeted Training and Apprenticeship Fund, may be eligible to have up to $12,000 of their fees covered. Check eligibility at feesfree.govt.nz

3. Apprenticeship Boost for employers

This is a subsidy payment made directly to employers who have employees in the first or second year of their New Zealand apprenticeship. Apprenticeship Boost is available until the end of December 2023. Check eligibility at workandincome.govt.nz

Employers or learners with any questions or issues around their programmes for 2023 can contact support@earnlearn.ac.nz

• Water filters & cartridges

• Housings, Tanks, Connectors

• UV Systems, Lamps and spares

• Coolers, Bubblers, Chillers

• Reverse Osmosis systems

• Water Softener Systems

• Nitrate Removal Systems

• Tanks, Control Heads, Media

North Island: 0800 424 333

South Island: 0800 660 010

IPLEX OFFERS A RANGE OF QUALITY PIPE & FITTING SOLUTIONS

FOR PLUMBING, DRAINLAYING AND GAS FITTNG.

Product ranges include drain, waste & vent, gas, energy and rainwater systems.

Iplex - Delivering Pipelines to New Zealand.

www.iplex.co.nz

0800 800 262

So, what have you been up to on site at the apartment project?

In the final month, I took over as plumbing site manager when the tradesman I was working with moved to another job. Man, that was a lot to take on!

I had to organise different trades to come and work for us, like shower installers to come put in liners and doors, and I was also ordering gear to the site and managing timeframes.

That sounds like a challenge!

Yeah, it’s good to get a taste of responsibility and see how the business ticks. Getting gear dropped to site was difficult. If it didn’t arrive on the given date, it pushed me back and that pushed the other trades back—and the follow-up calls to chase orders ate up a lot of time.

There was a big push pre-Christmas to get things done in time for council inspections, which meant getting lots of remedial work done on existing stuff, like replacement kitchen mixers and laundry tubs.

How did you juggle being hands-on and a site manager?

There are so many moving pieces to a project like this and I was getting about 10 phone calls a day, as well as emails—but I’m always happy to help if people have queries.

I had an apprentice on site helping me and if we were pushed I could call my Contracts Manager to get three or four more plumbers on. I get tunnel vision while I’m working at a task, so I had to make sure I was also thinking about what work to give them next.

The Contracts Manager touched base with me once a week to see if I needed any help and gave me a spreadsheet to keep updated with progress on each unit.

Hope you found time to take breaks during the day?

I always make time for lunch—there’s no way I’m ever going to miss that! Me and my partner do a big meal prep every Sunday, so we’re sorted for the week. It saves time and money. We make things like chicken, rice and veges that can be heated up if there’s a microwave on site, or eaten cold. I get hungry, so I also take plenty of muesli bars and snacks to eat at work or when I’m driving to the gym at the end of the day.