From todays paper.....


The first prisoners undertaking diplomas in plumbing and drainlaying, automotive engineering, and painting and plastering are due to finish their 17-week courses next month.



Linkback: http://www.plumbers.co.nz/forum/plumbing/1/17-week-plumbing-course/1118/

The training I take it is done in prison.

Being a time served tradesman takes on a whole new meaning, perhaps the masturbating carpet cleaner can have a go, he's a tradesman apparently.

In the same paper (the weekend press) has a story about a poor sod who's living in a caravan as he lost his job as a bloody DRAINLAYER!!!!

Google it mate its all on the newspapers web site, its nuts I had to resit all my tickets when I came from the UK, could have just smacked someone over went to jail and got my ticket, instead of taking years of jumping through the boards hoops to resit a ticket that I was already qualified in, real fair that.

When it suits them they do as they please, I got no problem giving people a second chance, just think it is fairer to give it to the people who haven't broken the law first. They are going to have a healthy respect for industry rules and regulations aren't they? if they had no problem breaking the law of the land, what are they going to think about venting a hot water cylinder, utter bollox. We are led by morons but we are the bigger morons for f****ing following the cunts. I got to work away from my family because the tossers lied about me and ruined my business.

I read the story about the drainlayer in our paper too - it's terrible.  I would have thought drainlayers would have been in great demand in Chch - I know of a drainlayer in Wgtn who has taken his firm down there to work.  I agree with everything you say Badger - our poor trainees are paying throught he nose, and then their taxes are being used to give prisoners a free training package.  Go figure.

What crimes did they commit, any rapists or sex offenders?? hopefully just petty thieves and drug addicts. Oh well they can replace all the tradies that have left for Oz, that the Board have scared off. Do they really want to screw this country right up or what, perhaps they think its a cunt tree, and we are ripe for picking, its like a bad joke.

Will the people know who they have invited in to work in their families homes?? a 17 week trained criminal.......will they f****, just bloody wrong, especially when law abiding business's are doing it hard and there are heaps of willing kids who need a start.

Can someone tell me why these Dick's are in charge again?? It is beyond me, I would be utterly embarrassed to put my name to the drivel they spout, total idiots.

This is what the Press said back in February

Southern regional manager for prison services Ian Bourke said about 50 per cent of freed prisoners reoffended. "That's what we've got to stop."

Corrections aimed to show prisoners "different pathways" in life, and he believed that securing a job after getting out of jail would help stop many of them from reoffending.

"We are part of the wider community and that's the way we want to operate," he said.

Fulton Hogan business development manager Kenny Corrigan, who is also chairman of the Canterbury branch of the New Zealand Contractors Federation, visited a prison for the first time yesterday.

Trades-trained prisoners would be needed to work on Christchurch's rebuild because of a nationwide skills shortage, Corrigan said. "We're going to have shortages in lots of areas."

These people should stop and have a look at why there is a so called skills shortage. "basically because they over regulate us, treat us like shit and then want us to support their views.

Is there any benefit in being in a regulated industry? It seems our time and skills don't count for bugger all. I can't wait to see what will happen when prisoners start coming out as doctors and surgeons because remember plumbers have done more in the world for the health of people than doctors have every done but because we are referred to as "trades people" our skills are deemed inferior to others.

I feel for the young guys who have paid thousands of dollars to do a pre-trade and can't get jobs because now in the name of rehabilitation they have more people in the market going for the few jobs there are available but the ex convicts will have the support and assistance of the so called Justice department to get jobs, they will no doubt pay employers to give ex convicts a job, Where is the justice in that?

Perhaps its time to start a political party of trades people to straighten things out.     

Actually Wal you make a good point there - are they offering medical or legal training to these guys - no - those professions wouldn't put up with it and would have their mates in the National Party put a stop to it.  The tradies are easy pickings.  I have yet to see any skills shortage in Chch or anywhere else at the moment.  I understand that a lot of the developers in Chch are getting their insurance payouts and investing it in Auckland or anywhere but Chch - so the huge rebuilding may never happen.  There are plenty of unemployed tradespeople who are just waiting for Chch to take off so they can move down there - I don't think we need to bring in lots of overseas trained plumbers, gasfitters or drainlayers or train prisoners either. 

Starting training cons in medicine and lawyering and spread the shit around...

Worse than that Aboutgas, probably funded by our tax dollars and won't cost them a penny.....When/if CHCH is finished you'll have some cool competition, just think if you beat any on a quote they can send around the heavies to explain their dissappointment in loosing out.

There is NO pre-trade course in NZ that allows you to skip any time off your apprenticeship.  All apprenticeships are 8000 hours - if you have passed unit standards at pre-trade then you don't repeat them, but when at block course you might do self directed learning while the others are doing these unit standards.