Builders are hiring – are you ready?
If you are not doing well at school, unhappy in your current job or sitting at home jobless, here’s a tip – the building industry is hiring. The booming housing sector and the ongoing Christchurch rebuild are fueling demand for builders and carpenters, with employers across New Zealand desperate for fresh talent.
Be among those who are taking the carpentry pathway to turn their life around. In fact, it is a measure of the government’s seriousness to dealing with the shortage of builders and carpenters that the carpentry course is FREE for those 16 years and older.
The programme will equip you with the right set of skills sought by the building and construction industry. You will learn about hand tools, power tools, fencing, decking, and health and safety. Training includes a period of valuable work experience and many of these placements become offers of work. Upon completion of the course, students achieve an NZQA accredited National Certificate in Building Construction and Allied Trade Skills — Level 2 and NCEA Level 1 and 2.
Skills Update Papakura branch has other courses like:
Welding, Security Level 2 and 3, Fitness and Exercise, Recreation and Sport, Barista and Hospitality, Warehouse Distribution and Fork Lift Operations and Forces Pre Entry. These courses are all aimed at NCEA Level 2, giving people the practical skills and the opportunity for a life-long career.
Skills Update, 15/17 Walters Road, Papakura. Phone 0800 00 0055 or visit our website.
Poll: Should complete designs be shared with the public, or should the community help shape the designs from the start?
The Post recently shared an opinion piece on the Harbour Crossing and why a more democratic approach might be needed 🚗🚲👟
While most decisions sit within the political arena, many organisations—like NZTA—manage long-term projects that go beyond party lines. Politics can sometimes disrupt progress, and the next Harbour Crossing is a big decision that will affect all Aucklanders.
We’d love your thoughts: Should near-complete, shovel-ready designs be shared with the public, or should the community have a hand in shaping the designs from the start?
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80.4% Community feedback and transparency is needed.
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19.6% No. This would be impossible in practice.
Poll: Should the government levy industries that contribute to financial hardship?
As reported in the Post, there’s a $30 million funding gap in financial mentoring. This has led to services closing and mentors stepping in unpaid just to keep helping people in need 🪙💰🪙
One proposed solution? Small levies on industries that profit from financial hardship — like banks, casinos, and similar companies.
So we want to hear what you think:
Should the government ask these industries to contribute?
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59.3% Yes, supporting people is important!
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26.2% No, individuals should take responsibility
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14.5% ... It is complicated
Have you got New Zealand's best shed? Show us and win!
Once again, Resene and NZ Gardener are on the hunt for New Zealand’s best shed! Send in the photos and the stories behind your man caves, she sheds, clever upcycled spaces, potty potting sheds and colourful chicken coops. The Resene Shed of the Year 2026 winner receives $1000 Resene ColorShop voucher, a $908 large Vegepod Starter Pack and a one-year subscription to NZ Gardener. To enter, tell us in writing (no more than 500 words) why your garden shed is New Zealand’s best, and send up to five high-quality photos by email to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz. Entries close February 23, 2026.
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