Apprentices speaking up for their industry

That’s the insight behind BCITO’s Apprentice Leaders’ Programme, which sees a motivated apprentice from each of BCITO’s 16 trades come together to share their experiences, build leadership and practical skills, and act as the “voice” of apprentices to inform BCITO’s valuable work on behalf of industry.

“BCITO wanted to ensure its services to apprentices and employers were outstanding, and provide a boost to leadership skills across the industry. We wanted to hear from people with different life experiences, from across the country, who have various perspectives and learning challenges, to give them more of a say in their learning,” explains Greg Durkin, Director of BCITO.

Annie Theewis was one of the future leaders nominated by her BCITO Training Advisor to participate last year. For her, it was an exciting opportunity to work on herself, meet other apprentices, and gain confidence in her leadership abilities.

“You can achieve so much with the right support around you. Having these extra experiences and getting involved in organising and presenting workshops and meetings really shaped my apprenticeship, and I’m looking forward to taking those skills forward in my career,” she says.

Annie is proud of having volunteered to chair workshops and meetings for her National Advisory Group, as well as organising an “Apprentice Lounge” on sharpening hand tools for her fellow timber joinery apprentices.

Annie also got the chance to do online leadership training via the Apprentice Leaders Programme – but her favourite experience was undoubtedly attending the Outward Bound course in the Marlborough Sounds. She and others in her group went on a hike, spent a night fending for themselves, and navigated a high ropes course.

“It was a great bonding exercise. It can feel uncomfortable at first, because instructors don’t tell you how to solve problems. That’s what’s so good for resilience, having to figure it out. They challenge you in a way that you become more aware of your capabilities, not just as an individual, but also as a team of people who come together,” she says.

Carpentry apprentice David Mansell started in the Apprentice Leader programme this year. As he puts it, he’s a “late starter” in the trades, having worked in corporate travel until Covid hit, and he’s keen to make up for lost time by jumping into his new career 100 per cent.

In fact, Annie’s advice has been to enjoy the journey and have fun with the experience.

“She told me not to take myself too seriously and have fun, as that’s when you’ll do your best learning,” he says. “I felt quite nervous about what was expected, but Annie put my mind at ease.”

David is really enjoying sharing feedback about their experiences with fellow apprentices, which he says will be a good springboard for his supervisor’s course and ultimately, starting his own construction business. He’s also valuing passing on feedback and perspectives to the employers, suppliers, and other key stakeholders on BCITO’s Carpentry National Advisory Group.

For those who are sceptical about how much influence apprentices can have in the industry, consider this. Carpentry apprentices attending one Apprentice Leaders’ workshop identified not having access to after-hours training as a barrier to success. As a result, BCITO has established free night classes to complement on-the-job training.

If you’d like to know more about BCITO’s Apprentice Leader programme and how to be involved, please contact info@bcito.org.nz.