2006 Graduates

Congratulations to the 147 newly qualified joiners and their employers who put in much time and energy to get you there! This year we have also included the nine First Line Management graduates – a fantastic result! All those who qualified from the end of November 2005, to the end of November 2006 are listed. We apologise– due to deadline commitments - for not being able to publish the names of joiners who qualified in December. A total of 156 Graduates for the Joinery Industry.

Graham Hughes Memorial Outward Bound Scholarship

Graham Hughes was a Master Joiner with a lifetime commitment to the industry. Graham gave exceptional service to the joinery industry, and served more than 19 years on a number of the industry organisations such as the Industry Training Board, the Registered Master Joiners and as the first Chairman of the Joinery ITO. While in business, Graham trained many apprentices, and encouraged them to excel not only in joinery skills but in all aspects of their lives.

Graham passed away in December 2003, and the Joinery ITO dedicates this Outward Bound Scholarship to his memory.

The apprentice awarded the Graham Hughes Memorial Scholarship will attend an Outward Bound Course at Anakiwa, in the Marlborough Sounds, in June 2007.

JITO is sponsoring this scholarship to:

• provide a tangible benefit to the company by providing the apprentice an opportunity to grow and personally develop
• provide the opportunity to identify, encourage and reward key apprentices
• benefit the industry as a whole by having members who have had the Outward Bound experience and learned from it.

This course will be made up of apprentices from the BETA (Built Environment Training Alliance) group of ITOs, such as building and construction, plumbing, flooring, furniture, boat building, roading infrastructure.

Outward Bound has a reputation of increasing participants’ self esteem and productivity, and the ability to help participants set and achieve personal and professional goals. The course provides rounding and works on maturity. Key outcomes include:

• Improved confidence
• Improved communication skills
• Responsiveness to challenges
• Achievement orientation
• Tolerance for difference and
• Ability to relate well to a wide diversity of people.

Please visit the outward bound website: www.outwardbound.co.nz

The closing date for application is Friday 16th February 2007.

For more information, download an application form in pdf format.

July 2006 - Profile

The Joinery ITO Profile 2007-09, based on our Charter, is now completed and available for download.

July 2006 - New textbook

Hot off the press! New kitchen textbook now available.

June 2006 - Annual Report

The latest annual report is now available for download here.

May 2006

See the April newsletter.

June 2005 - New Zealand’s Most Promising Joinery Apprentice

Ben Fraser was recently flown to Wellington to attend the Joinery Manufacturers Federation awards ceremony. He received the Ernie Jelinek cup for New Zealand’s most promising apprentice together with a $200 cheque and a miniature cup for his collection.

Ben is 18 months into a four year Joinery apprenticeship at McMaster Joinery in Waimate. He is learning and practising the skills of a craftsperson which involve the manufacture of timber windows, doors and stairs using hand tools to operating component machines

Ben’s boss Des McMaster says “Ben has the ability to take a minimal amount of information and quickly relate this to quite complex jobs without asking many extra questions. His finishing skills and motivation to learn are quite remarkable for someone so young. I feel privileged to have him working for me.”

All apprentice’s attending a 2nd year course at one of six Polytechs throughout New Zealand were candidates. Using set criteria, Polytech tutors nominated apprentices for the award. With eleven apprentices nominated, three accomplished the final stage in the selection process which was made more difficult with so many apprentices displaying excellent skills and knowledge, with professional attitudes.

The apprentices selected needed to show promising attributes in their joinery knowledge, performance and technique, corresponding with the desire to learn. Being able to apply learned skills to their tasks with an encouraging level of energy, motivation and eagerness set the most promising apprentices apart.

The Joinery Industry Training Organisation which administers the qualification for joinery is proud of the level of skill the finalists have shown. If you are interested in becoming a joiner or you are a joiner who is looking to take on an apprentice please phone the Joinery Industry Training Organisation 04 385 8801 or email info@jito.org.nz for an information pack.

JITO Profile 2005-2007

Last year, the Joinery ITO Charter was approved by the Minister of Education. This year, we are developing an ITO Profile for 2005-2007 which sets out how the Joiner ITO will contribute to the Government’s Tertiary Education Strategy (TES) and the Statement of Tertiary Education Priorities (STEPS).

Your comments and feedback on the draft profile would be appreciated, so that issues which have not already been addressed can be included.

January 2004 - Charter Approved

The Associate Minister of Education, the Hon Steve Maharey, has approved the Joinery ITO Charter which came into effect on the 1st of January 2004, and will remain effective until 27th December 2008. The Charter will be the guiding document for our annual Business Plans over this period. We wish to thank those JITO members and other organizations who provided input into its development.

Click here to download a copy of the final charter.