Expansion of Construction programme to upskill people on benefit
09 May 2019
A construction programme giving young people
on benefit training and work experience building community
houses was
formally launched by Minister of Social Development Carmel Sepuloni,
today.
Minister Sepuloni launched the Kiwi Can Do programme for the Lower North
Island alongside Building and Construction Minister Jenny Salesa and
Employment Minister Willie Jackson at the Wesley Rātā Village site in
Lower Hutt, this morning.
“This initiative fulfils several of this Government’s priorities - to
upskill and train young people on benefit for industries like
construction, that have a severe shortage of
skilled workers and to
increase the supply of community housing to low and middle income New
Zealanders,” Carmel Sepuloni said.
The programme is a joint venture between MSD employment provider Kiwi
Can Do, MSD, Wesley Community Action and modular construction company
EasyBuild.
“This Kiwi Can Do programme has capacity for 480 extra people on benefit
to be trained in the Lower North Island, over the next year. This will
increase Kiwi Can Do participants to a maximum of 1200 per year
nationwide.
“People on benefit will have access to pre-employment training and work
experience under trade qualified mentors, and once placed into a job,
Kiwi Can Do will provide up to a year of in-work support
Wesley Community Action and EasyBuild Ltd have already started work on
the construction of 25 community houses on the Wesley Rātā Village site.
MSD clients will get training assembling the prefab homes.
“This Government is committed to training and up-skilling people on
benefit for jobs of the future. The construction industry is moving
progressively towards prefabricated construction. So opportunities for
people on benefit to get hands on experience is invaluable,” Carmel
Sepuloni said.
--ENDS--
Source: New Zealand Government - www.beehive.govt.nz
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