Cairns Welcomes Needed Carpentry Training

November 2024 marked Tec-NQ’s first carpentry apprentice sign up in the Cairns region.

The anticipated expansion of carpentry training to our full house of electrotechnology apprentices comes with the nation wide trade shortages in the construction industry. Josh, owner of Hiles Constructions Pty Ltd made the switch to Tec-NQ to sign up his first-year apprentice Ryan, our first official carpentry apprentice in our Cairns region. Josh mentioned that he is looking forward to working with Tec-NQ to provide quality training to his apprentice.

Carpentry training has been available through Tec-NQ’s main campus in Townsville for over a decade. With five full-time carpentry trainers on staff, enrolments have doubled in the last five years. Tec-NQ’s Cairns operations were established in 2019 through the provision of training in electrotechnology. It moved to its new campus in Portsmith in 2022 with the intent to expand the number of trades offered.

Construction Head of Department, Boyd Turner believes personalised service has been key to this growth. “Employers appreciate the regular contact that we offer these apprentices. We deliver most of their training on the job, but apprentices are encouraged to participate in study sessions held after work hours at the Tec-NQ campus to keep up to date.”

Apprentices are seen on the job every six weeks. Trainers review training progress and perform theory and practical assessments while on site. Some blocks of training are offered onsite at the Tec-NQ campus to provide practical skill-building for tasks that are not always performed on worksites.  These courses include pitched roof systems, flooring, stairs and advanced levelling. Initial work, health and safety training is also done at the Tec-NQ campus to introduce students to the systems in place to support their training.

RTO Manager, Jennifer Trybula indicates, “We already feel welcome in the Cairns region. Initial meetings with Master Builders, contractors and apprenticeship centres have all been positive with the indication that, like in Townsville, there is plenty of room available in FNQ for a quality training model.”

Our Cairns region is managed by facility manager and Senior Electrical Trainer Kristopher Heel who brings a wealth of knowledge to our organisation with 48 years of trade experience. With a predominant electrical background, Kris has covered everything from refrigeration and air-conditioning, electronics, auto electrical and instrumentation and automation. With an impressive background and a commitment of 14 years to Tec-NQ, Jennifer is confident that Kris is the perfect person to guide our Cairns team and campus expansions.

Kris mentions that with growth to accommodate the Australian Military’s current upgrades in both Cairns and Townsville, the region will need thousands of houses, flats, and high-rise infrastructure to accommodate our Navy, Army, and Air Force as they make Cairns a ship repair hub. Our new carpentry expansion will allow more apprentices to get access to quality training without having to travel from home and will make a small yet impactful input to the trades shortages in the area.

To get more information on full-time training in our Cairns region or to enrol, visit tecnq.com.au or contact (07) 4225 3511.

 

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