Kiwi Can Do is funded by the Industry Partnerships division of MSD to support the Construction Industry Accord, and our job is to work closely with employers to prepare and support New Zealanders into employment and a career. There are no fees or costs to employers for the Kiwi Can Do service.
The Construction Accord is an all-industry and government grouping with a mandate to create a high-performance construction sector that will help lead New Zealand’s economic recovery.
We encourage and support Job Seekers wanting to gain formal qualifications through the BCITO or other tertiary training. We work closely with Work and Income’s service centres and can introduce employers to their front-line staff to talk about other forms of direct financial support.
Kiwi Can Do has developed a range of new programmes that range from first-time Work and Income Job Seekers through to work ready programmes for those wanting to start their careers in construction and include:
Fast Track – which recognises previous construction industry experience.
Accelerated – wanting to change careers from hospo, tourism, retail or travel.
Truck Licences – driving jobs in passenger services, couriers, road building and more.
Work Ready Entry Level – grabbing the first rung of the ladder and getting into construction.
We cover building, painting, scaffolding, gib fixing and stopping, plus class 2 to class 5 truck licences, along with wheels, tracks and rollers endorsements and traffic control.
All of our candidates are kitted out with free steel cap boots, hi viz vests, earmuffs, safety glasses, sit Site Safe Passports, and gain high-impact CVs, and tutor references.
We have created a ‘Dad’s Army’ of retired or semi-retired Tradies, each with decades of work and life skills who want to pass on their knowledge to the next generation. They’ve brought up families, coached sports teams, trained apprentices. They work alongside trainees as mentors in the manner of a favourite uncle or grandfather.
Kiwi Can Do tutors are able to assess skill levels for the more advanced and offer training programmes for entry level work ready candidates that are almost exclusively hands-on with the tools. Kiwi Can Do has developed a highly effective “learning by being shown and then doing” programme.
Our field staff are recruiters with a deep understanding and experienced in identifying people with a positive attitude, a genuine desire to work, wanting to earn a living to support themselves and their families. We have candidates located in virtually all parts of the North Island.
Our priority is to find job opportunities close to home. If there is no work nearby, our graduates can opt to relocate to a bigger centre and they are financially supported by MSD to make the move. Kiwi Can Do physically assists them find a job, settle them into accommodation and ensure they have efficient travel plans to get to work.
Our in-work support programme means we stay in contact with candidates and their employers for six months—at least weekly in the first four weeks and monthly after that. It is our job to recognise issues an employer or employee is having and help resolve them to ensure Kiwi Can Do trainees transition smoothly into work and stay there.
Employers drawing from the Kiwi Can Do Programme will need to offer full-time work under a standard employment contract agreement. While many of our employers pay above the minimum wage, we advise our entry-level trainees that they will need to prove themselves to advance through the pay scales.
Fast Track Programme
A range of experienced construction industry workers have registered with Kiwi Can Do after unexpectedly finding themselves on the Job Seeker benefit or have been advised that work has dried up and their employment is at an end because of Covid-19.
Kiwi Can Do will filter candidates best suited for the jobs on offer, discuss them, email CVs and set job interview appointments. Some short-term assignments may be considered, but in general we are seeking to place candidates into full-time employment contracts.
Accelerated Programme
This programme has attracted experienced or mature candidates, who have been laid off (or were about to be laid off) from other industries such as hospo, tourism, retail, or aviation. We have screened candidates for those who enjoy DIY, always wanted an outdoor physical job and are keen to find a trade to excel at with long term career prospects.
They have solid work records, character and job references, driver’s licence and a vehicle to get to work. We assessed them for their abilities on the tools, provided limited basic training and they are now ready for paid on-the-job work trials.
Truck Licences
Many Kiwi men and women have had a hankering to drive trucks, diggers, bulldozers and other heavy machinery that started in their kindergarten sandpit. We have close to a 100 percent pass rate on our truck licencing programme.
This talent pool is available for civil contractors bidding for the Government’s shovel ready programme, local Mayor’s taskforce recruiters, bus companies, couriers, food deliveries, road builders and subdivision developers.
Work Ready
Trainees are selected for this programme when they show us they have a positive attitude, a genuine desire to work and a determination to gain a trade qualification.
All trainees sit their Site Safe Passport, are drug tested, with a driver’s licence upgrade where possible. Depending on the final trade selected the trainees are taken through health and safety in the workplace, handling construction materials, reading plans, measuring and cutting framing and fitout materials, safe use of hand, powertools and work-place protocols.
Employers wanting a selection of CVs can register with us today.