At just 21, Bodhi Driver has already worked full-time in the building industry for more than four years.

“I’ve been with TJ’s Kitchens and Bathrooms since I was 17,” he says. “It’s my dream job.”

Raised in Auckland, Bodhi loved tools and machines from an early age. He helped turn that passion into a career by completing a managed apprenticeship through Unitec.

A managed apprenticeship is a framework for learning a vocational trade. This includes in-work and off-job training where the learner is engaged in a three-party relationship with both the education provider and the employer, designed so all parties contribute to sound practical skill development and theoretical understanding of the trade. The study leads to a national qualification at Level 4.

The strength of the building and construction industry relies on employers and education providers working together to create a responsive managed apprenticeship pathway.

“What I loved most was learning how each part of a building fits together—from excavation and framing to roofing and joinery,” he says. “The course structure makes sure you understand the whole building process, not just bits and pieces.”

He also found the dual structure of study and work powerful. “It’s amazing to be learning something in class and applying it on site the next day. And the tutors go the extra mile—even doing late-night Zooms to help us stay on track.”

His employer, Tyrone Galloway from Kitchens and Bathrooms, agrees. “Unitec makes a huge difference. Once everything clicked for Bodhi, he really took off. We put all our apprentices through Unitec because the combination of work and study sets them up for success.”

Our carpentry apprentices attend classes over four years at the state-of-the-art trades training facility, Mataaho. The weekly classes are held in the afternoon and evenings to accommodate work schedules.

While working for an employer as a ‘signed up’ apprentice, they have a Unitec verifier or supervisor who guides and observes skill development on site.

“Our aim is that a combination of these learning strategies will lead to student competency and the ability to participate fully in the industry,” says carpentry lecturer Chris Stoddard.
“The ultimate goal is movement towards unsupervised competency and meeting industry standards for quality and efficiency.”
“It’s a great way to do it because students are able to work alongside, observe and learn from qualified carpenters and experienced workers,” says Mr Stoddard, who worked as a carpenter for 20 years before moving into teaching.
“They’ll have their own skill development monitored with mentoring being key to the process.”

Supported learning model helps build confidence and capability

Angus Robertson knows the apprenticeship pathway well, having completed the Diploma in Construction Management and his own carpentry apprenticeship at Unitec nearly 40 years ago.

“There’s still no effective alternative to the supported learning model,” he says.

“I believe that the quality teaching and pastoral care offered by Unitec result in quality tradespeople who are productive and empowered to succeed in what can be a demanding occupation.”

Fellow lecturer Chris Stoddard says the need for skilled carpenters has remained constant through the 14 years he’s been teaching at Unitec.
“Apprentices who train with us have the opportunity to deepen their understanding of the trade with close mentorship and tutorial assistance,” he says.
“We help build their confidence and capability by tying together on-the-job training with technical knowledge.”

The course takes trainees beyond the tools, developing their foundation in construction maths, plan reading, material science and building systems to support a student’s development into a confident and competent builder.

Typically, learners find their apprenticeship placements through personal and family networks, social media platforms, word of mouth and proactive outreach.

Unitec also assists with identifying prospective employers who have offered traineeships to our apprentices in the past.

“If a learner came to us keen to do an apprenticeship, but didn’t have a place to go to, we’d help them,” says Mr Stoddard. “If we have knowledge of a potential employment opportunity, we’ll offer these contacts to students.
“It’s in our best interests to engage someone who’s keen on a managed apprenticeship pathway, and to help them succeed through having a good experience,” he says.

Letting her mahi do the talking

The planter box that carpentry apprentice Zinnia Gurden designed for the recent NZCB Apprentice Challenge earned her top honours in the Auckland regional competition, and a source of fun and happy digging for children at her old Glamorgan kindergarten in Torbay.

As well as building the planter box over the course of the day-long competition, participants had to nominate a deserving recipient in their community to receive their finished project, and document the process.

“I wanted to give something back to a place that meant a lot to me,” says twenty-one-year-old Zinnia, who’s currently doing her apprenticeship with Ecopod, working on their prefabricated houses.
“It was so cool to see the young children digging away in the planter box, sewing their vegetable seeds, and a great hands-on way for them to learn about sustainability and the environment.”

It was when Zinnia was a Year 11 student at Auckland’s Long Bay College that she decided to try her hand at building – her mother had previously worked for a construction company, and Zinnia had taken to the vibe and activity of the industry from a young age.

She completed a Gateway foundation course in Year 12 and started at Unitec the following year, just as the country was coming out of the global COVID lockdown.

“What I like about the course is the hands-on experience and time spent in the workshop,” she says. “I knew from a young age that homework isn’t for me – I much prefer doing things in person.”

Unitec’s constant commitment to support, mentorship, and structured learning is helping hundreds of apprentices become confident, capable builders.

For apprentices like Zinnia and Bodhi, it has also opened the door to personal transformation.

As Bodhi puts it, “To be able to work with my hands, gain skills, and produce a finished product is so fulfilling,” he says.

“Standing back and looking at a deck that's just been built is a great feeling of achievement.”

Learn more abou Unitec’s carpentry apprenticeship programme.