In-house apprentice training students build houses with the support of community & industry mix.

Talking to Jim Moffett, lecturer in charge of Manawatū students in NZ Certificate in Construction (level 3), it was obvious that it takes a large support network to build a complete house and enable students to learn the required skill sets on-site.

Every year, UCOL Manawatū students build a three-bedroom house for the Palmerston North community. They begin by learning the basic skills of health & safety, tools, carpentry and the rules of working on sites. This soon progresses to a large building project of a complete house. Piece by piece, they are guided and supported by staff, UCOL, industry and community. It is an incredible journey for these students aged 16 and up. They also learn and engage in teamwork and become confident in social interactions. This is especially important when working with trades, contractors, and, perhaps, running their businesses.

Let’s take you through how our industries support these builds here in the Manawatū rohe – it is quite a phenomenal team effort involving industry, UCOL and students. These connections are crucial to success for us all. Additional houses are built with programmes run in Whanganui, Taumarunui, Masterton and Levin, using different sets of local Industries.

It starts with the Architect, Daryl Edwards from Affordable Design, drawing up the plans and organising permits with the Palmerston North City Council. The students then start building the subfloor inside UCOL workshops, with supplies from Mitre 10, who also bring in various products and hardware for the entire build. Framing is next, and trusses follow. Trusses are from Feilding’s H&R Jones. Roofing is next. The metal and contractors are supplied by the company Metalcraft Industries.

When contractors are used, students observe and learn the processes, interactions and gain an understanding of the requirements needed like certifications and expectations. We have electrical, plumbing and construction courses at UCOL; however, the timing of the builds may not always match the course schedules.

The build continues with pre-wiring, plumbing, and exterior doors, making the house watertight, as provided by Sal Electrical, Waterworks, and Fishers. Internal doors are supplied by Quality Doors. Then, gibbing is started. Kitchen joinery is supplied by Renal Doors and Joinery, and Showers are installed by certified installers, Englefield and Clearlite. Plastering is done by PN Fibrous Plasters. Painting comes next with Dave from D&H Painting. AC Plastics also donates plastic packers yearly to UCOL. Finally, Central House Movers Ltd from Bulls placed the completed house in the back carpark at UCOL Te Pūkenga, ready for sale. Normally the houses have been presold, as they are very popular. Property Brokers handle the sales process. You can hear the passion in Jim’s voice as he describes a building and all the people involved.

“It just doesn’t work without great connections and the support of industry”.