The He Toki Apprenticeship Trust, which has successfully recruited over 50 apprentices for the construction sector in a little over a year, is expanding into civil construction through a partnership with City Care in a joint venture partnership with JFC. These new agreements will allow He Toki to not only support Canterbury, but also the Kaikōura rebuild. [Read more…]

What He Toki course are you doing?
I am doing He Toki Stage 1 Carpentry at Ara.

What drew you to the He Toki programme?
I had studied construction at school and thought I wanted to go further with that, so I signed up.

What school did you go to?
I was at Papanui High School, I was one of the Deputy Head Students.

How did you find out about He Toki?
I was actually just looking around on the internet for apprenticeships and came across He Toki. I thought better get some skills first as it makes it a lot easier in the trades if you have a bit more experience.

Are you enjoying the programme?
Yeah it’s good, all the boys and ladies are good. Its full on but it gets easier and easier. I would say I am on the right path.

Are the tutors good?
Yeah it can be full on – they are firm but fair.

Would you recommend He Toki?
Yeah definitely it’s a good pathway for people to go on.

Tawera Warren.

Tawera Warren.

He Toki Logo

What He Toki course are you studying?
I am in the stage one carpentry course.

How is the study going?
So far it’s good. The tutors are great, my classmates are great and it’s like a family kind of thing.

Are you enjoying it?
Definitely, I was a bit shy at first though being the only female in the course. But it’s pretty good, the boys are awesome and the tutors are great. [Read more…]

Students leave mark on rebuild

A group of He Toki civil skills students used the Ngā Whāriki Manaaki (Woven Mats of Welcome) series to leave a lasting impression on the city.

The 13 whāriki (weaving patterns) that form Ngā Whāriki Manaaki are a core element of the Te Papa Ōtākaro/Avon River Precinct redevelopment. The whāriki welcome visitors to our city.

The He Toki students were invited to pave one of the whāriki located in the Park of Remembrance by Ōtākaro Limited (formerly CERA).

They placed 3557 ceramic pieces across five days to finish the job and the result has been great says Martin Trusttum from Ōtākaro Limited. [Read more…]

Ōnuku tamariki to feature in Māori Language Week campaign

This year the kaupapa for Te Wiki o te Reo Māori is Ngā ingoa Māori/Māori names. The co-ordinators of Māori Language Week (1-7 July), have selected just six locations within Aotearoa to showcase. Akaroa was selected on the basis that it is frequently mispronounced. [Read more…]

Late in January over 60 new students joined He Toki ki te Rika – the Māori trades training programme at CPIT.

He Toki is a 12 to 20 week Māori pre-trade training course that Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, CPIT and Hawkins Construction have been running for the last two-years. He Toki covers pre-trade programmes in carpentry, painting and decorating, plasterboard, plumbing and drain laying. He Toki students are taught at CPIT’s Trades and Innovation campus and learn in a cultural environment, which involves tikanga and use of te reo. [Read more…]