New Zealand Certificate in Construction Trade Skills, Carpentry (Level 3)

Do you want a career in carpentry? Enrol in building and construction at Tai Poutini Polytechnic and get prepared for your apprenticeship.

About the programme

You’ll be trained in every aspect of a house build – including foundations and roofing – so you’re ready for work on the West Coast where our builders do the lot! You’ll even get to build a house alongside your classmates and get a feel for the real job.

The 34-week programme gets you ready for work. It includes three weeks’ work experience with a local West Coast builder, which can often lead to offers of apprenticeships after your training is finished.

Our tutors make sure you know how to handle yourself on a building site. You’ll learn how to use hand and power tools, understand health and safety practices on-site and become more confident and more employable on a building site.

Graduates of Tai Poutini Polytechnic’s building and construction programmes are in-demand. Local builders are busy right now and they are keen to employ graduates who have learned the basics and know how to get the job done.

If you’re looking for carpentry or building construction training, then Tai Poutini Polytechnic is right for you. You’ll learn how to become a builder and start working toward your construction, building or carpentry qualifications.

Core elements

Core elements include:
- Construction site safety
- Hand and power tools
- Construction site organisation
- Building consents and regulations
- Site set out
- Foundations
- Subfloor
- Flooring
- Framing
- Roofing - framing and roof cladding
- Exterior Cladding
- Interior linings
- Fitting of windows and doors
- Insulation
- Fitting interior joinery
- Skirtings, architraves and furnishing

Further Study Pathways

  • New Zealand Certificate in Construction Trade Skills Level 4
  • National Certificate in Construction Site Management

Career opportunities

Graduates of this programme will have the skills to pursue a career in the construction industry in a variety of positions such as Apprentice Carpenter, Hammer hand or Skilled Labourer.

You will be offered a place subject to meeting the entry and selection requirements and the availability of places on the programme. The Polytechnic reserves the right to not accept late applications, i.e., after the programme has started. The Polytechnic reserves the right to cancel, prior to commencement, any programme which does not attract a minimum number of students. The fees shown are indicative only. Both domestic and international fees are subject to change. For further information visit here.