The programme is part of the government’s wider infrastructure programme, which is set out in a new progress report.
The training scheme will look to recruit 900 new workers over the next year. It will be run by the Stronger Christchurch Infrastructure Rebuild Team (SCIRT) in partnership with infrastructure training organisation InfraTrain.
Minister Gerry Brownlee said that the size of the infrastructure repair job should not be underestimated. “To date SCIRT has laid 19km of fresh water piping, 70km of waste water piping and 5 km of storm water piping, yet the team is only 12% of their way through the rebuild and repair of horizontal infrastructure. “Roughly 1,020km of road will need rebuilding, which is half of the city’s urban sealed roads. This is a huge job and we will all benefit by up-skilling workers to carry out the work over the next five years.”
Brownlee said that the programme will help meet the high demand for workers and the need to present them to employers with a degree of pre-trade training. “Through the programme SCIRT and the industry providers will provide training that ranges from six to 14 weeks for new entrants to industry, or on the job re-training for appropriate applicants. New entrants who complete the training and meet industry requirements will be guaranteed a job.”
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