A Hamilton man has become the 100th electrical apprentice employed by ATT (Apprenticeship Training Trust).
Brooklyn Aperehama is completing his apprenticeship with Mech Electrical of Hamilton East. That sees him working with owner-operator Mehmet Kurnaz on a range of residential and commercial projects in and around the city. He hopes to complete his apprenticeship in three to four years.
Aperehama is one of 43 Waikato-based apprentices employed by ATT. The trust is one of the country’s largest employers of apprentices, and expanded into the electrical sector in 2015. It also employs apprentices in plumbing, drain-laying and gas-fitting, and has 367 in total nationwide.
ATT chief executive Helen Stephens says by giving Kiwis the best opportunity to learn a trade the trust is helping the construction sector gain the skills it is crying out for:
“New Zealand has a massive skills gap with an estimated 80,000 construction workers needed over the next five years – just under half require a trade qualification,” she said.
“Electrical is a big part of this, which is why we started employing electrical apprentices four years ago. Some of our first electrical graduates qualified at our recent graduation events and are now in full-time employment.
“In the current market, with construction booming and population growing, apprentices all have great prospects.”
ATT is a nationwide independent charitable trust that partners with trade businesses by operating a managed apprenticeship scheme. It manages all the recruitment, employs the apprentices, mentors, provides HR and personal support, and organises training.
ATT is one of the largest electrical apprentice employers and the largest employer of plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying apprentices in New Zealand, with more than 28 years’ experience.
