Local construction apprentices Bailey Deakin and Henare Wells are learning all the tricks of the trade, combining study with employment on the Vue Terrace Homes site in Robina as students of the Gold Coast School of Construction.

With initial funding support from the Queensland Government, the School was developed and is operated by Hutchinson Builders.  A registered training organisation, Gold Coast School of Construction recently relocated its onsite classroom to Vue and offers a 12-week ‘Trade Start’ course designed to give youngsters like Bailey and Henare onsite experience in at least three trades.

“It was a great opportunity for me to get in with Hutchies because they have a fantastic reputation in the industry,” said Bailey, 18, from Mermaid Beach – a first-year carpentry apprentice fresh out of high school.

“The learning we did in the classroom I use every single day. It’s so good to be exposed to a real construction site and get a feel for what the industry is actually like.

“I’m confident that after I complete my apprenticeship, I’ll have the skills and experience I need to go on to a career as a structural foreman then on to a site manager role.”

Originally from New Zealand, Henare grew up on the Gold Coast and played rugby league for the Auckland Warriors. After recently missing out on a spot with the side, he decided to pursue a career in construction, allowing him to keep playing the sport he loves for the Burleigh Bears.

“I’m at that age now where I needed to get some kind of trade behind me,” said the 25-year-old from Broadbeach.

“Before, I was just going from one labouring job to the next, and I was also getting my ear chewed off by my girlfriend, who kept telling me to go out and get something for myself.

“I’d been looking online for apprenticeships but I found it quite hard to find something because it’s pretty competitive on the Gold Coast.

“When I was looking for apprenticeships they were all north of Brisbane, so I was really happy to start working on a construction site only 10 minutes down the road from home.”

Rod Eske is the Coordinator of the Gold Coast School of Construction and was a former high school manual arts teacher who also has experience running projects for industry training funds.

He said the aim of the school was to make Hutchinsons a better builder, while ultimately improving workforce quality across the industry.

“It’s not just about Hutchies, it’s about building capacity of the workforce so everyone in the industry benefits – from Hutchies to other builders and the sub-contractors we work with,” he said.

“Through our school, we’re getting some good young people into our industry and making sure they go into an apprenticeship so they come out with trade qualifications at the end of it, and a career ahead of them.”

The Gold Coast School of Construction started with a single classroom in Yatala in 2011 and has since expanded with four more locations at Bowen Hills, Yarrabilba, Toowoomba and Robina.

The school recently relocated to Vue after a stint at the Ruby Collection site in Surfers Paradise, and prior to that was based at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Athletes’ Village in Parkwood.

Rod said close to 1000 students had graduated since the school opened seven years ago.

“Of the students who finish our programs, 75 per cent are getting a job in the industry,” he said.

“The apprentices Hutchies employs directly have a 95 per cent retention rate – and as a comparison, the industry average is about 55 per cent.”

Rod said the ‘Trade Start’ program met nationally accredited training requirements, so students developed skills that were transferrable and recognised in Australia.

He said the course also allowed them to identify students suitable for their ‘Future Leaders’ program – training apprentices up to be the next generation of team supervisors.

“Most training organisations are based in brick and mortar buildings somewhere offsite and that’s often not really where the work is,” Rod said.

“At the school, we’re always in a temporary building on a live construction site, so our students are engaging with construction workers and sub-contractors on site all day, every day.

“When it’s time to do work placement, they literally walk outside to the site and get started.

“We’re onsite and immersed in the industry so we’re teaching them contemporary skills and equipping them for the future.”

Rod encouraged anyone looking at a career in construction to consider the Gold Coast School of Construction.

“At the end of the day, when you’re undertaking an apprenticeship, you’re making a four-year commitment, so you want to wake up every morning and be happy with the trade you are involved in,” he said.

“When someone finds the right trade, I don’t know a single person with a trade qualification who regrets it.

“It’s the basis of a great education and career in the construction industry, and the best decision you will ever make.”

For more information on the school visit gcsc.edu.au or call 0438 880 944.