Page 14 - HW November 2019
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hard news
                                                        Formal qualifications for prefab
MANUFACTURING ITO COMPETENZ has partnered with PrefabNZ, BCITO and other industry stakeholders in launching qualifications and training pathways
for the New Zealand prefabricated construction sector.
The new NZQA-recognised New Zealand Certificate in Manufacturing (Level 2) is the new entry-level qualification now available for
people employed in prefabricated manufacturing.
Competenz CEO, Fiona Kingsford, says the organisation is delighted to make this qualification available to the prefabrication sector: “We are excited to be working alongside this emerging
industry at such a critical time for New Zealand building and construction. This certification gives the prefabrication manufacturing workforce the opportunity to gain recognition under the New Zealand qualifications’ framework and provides them with valuable transferable skills.”
Who is this qualification for?
Level 2 Manufacturing is aimed at entry-level workers and takes between six and 12 months to complete.
www.competenz.org.nz
ECNZ General Manager Francesca Lipscombe and Parul Sood, Auckland Council Programme Director for Waste Solutions.
 Vocational push for
school leavers
The Government is funding three new ways to help encourage school leavers get into vocational education and then enter the trades across various sectors.
The initiatives are part of the Government’s plan to turn around attitudes found in a recent survey by the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) that 42% of 18-24 year olds surveyed did not have a positive image of vocational education in New Zealand.
The same survey also showed that 53% of parents surveyed would rather their child attend university than enrol in a polytechnic or on-the-job training.
First of the new initiatives is led by the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) which will lead a new education- to-employment “brokerage” service designed to build strong local relationships with businesses and schools and act as a liaison between schools and employers to highlight local trades and vocational opportunities for students.
On top of this there will be 140 Ministry of Education careers events over the next couple of years to connect schools, communities and employers and establish a contestable fund to support secondary schools to run their own trades events.
Lastly there will be a marketing campaign to promote vocational careers to students, parents, whānau, teachers and employers.
These initiatives work alongside other Government programmes such the Prime Minister’s Vocational Excellence Awards, the expansion of Trades Academy (just boosted by 2,000 places) and Gateway.
www.beehive.govt.nz
     Build it or bowl it – now there’s an ecolabel
A NEW CONSTRUCTION and demolition ecolabel specification has been launched to help reduce the amount of construction and demolition waste going to landfill.
Research shows that by weight, the construction and demolition industry is one of the largest waste producers in the country, making up around half of all waste going to landfill.
The specification has been developed by the New Zealand Ecolabelling Trust (NZET) and was introduced at the WasteMINZ conference.
An NZET feasibility study found that the most significant issue is the amount of C&D
material going straight into landfill when it could be reused.
NZET and ECNZ General Manager, Francesca Lipscombe, says the new specification could be a game-changer for waste management in the construction industry.
Through the specification, construction and demolition waste service providers can receive third-party verification and Environmental Choice New Zealand (ECNZ) certification for their projects.
To find out more details on EC-59 C&D Waste Services go to:
https://bit.ly/2nWik2T
 12 NZHJ | NOVEMBER 2019
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