The Workforce Pipeline
New Zealand’s construction industry has a persistent skilled worker shortage that is structural rather than cyclical — the industry is not producing enough new trades-qualified people to replace those who retire or leave, let alone grow the workforce to meet increased construction demand. Addressing this shortage requires industry-wide investment in apprenticeships and trades training that goes beyond what any individual employer can justify based solely on their own workforce needs.
For construction businesses, taking on apprentices is both a workforce development strategy and a contribution to the broader industry’s health. Businesses that consistently take apprentices build a pipeline of skilled workers who understand the business’s systems and culture, and who provide genuine productivity as they progress through their training.
The BCITO Apprenticeship
The Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation (BCITO) administers apprenticeships in carpentry, painting and decorating, and other construction trades. The New Zealand Certificate in Carpentry (Level 4), typically completed over three to four years, is the main qualification pathway for aspiring carpenters and includes both on-job training (in the employer’s workplace) and off-job training (typically block courses at polytechnics or ITOs).
Employers who take on a BCITO apprentice receive a training advisor who visits regularly, support with setting and assessing unit standards, and access to BCITO’s resources for managing the training relationship. The wage subsidy available through government apprenticeship support programmes (which have varied over time in terms of eligibility and quantum) can partially offset the cost of the unproductive time that apprentice training involves.
Building a Training Culture
The businesses that are most successful at developing apprentices are those where senior staff are genuinely committed to teaching and mentoring — not just using apprentices as cheap labour. An apprentice who is taught systematically, given progressively challenging work, and mentored by experienced tradies develops skills and loyalty that delivers long-term value to the business. An apprentice who is just given the grunt work and ignored produces neither.