Spud - go to your local polytech and ask to go on the Industry Advisory Board. They have to have one - and provide your feedback there. The reason pre-trades continue to flourish is that polytechs get 100% of the money for these in their own pockets and therefore they love them. So, as they are unable to be stopped, you may as well have your two cents worth as to the quality of them. I agree 100% with Watchdog - training generally needs to be strengthened. It is the future of our industry. Much like the new entrants class in a school - if the quality at the polytech isn't good then the end result isn't going to be good.
I am a 4th generation Kiwi - 20 years also. I do believe in training properly, and supervising correctly - and ensuring that apprentices are held to account for their learning. I am understanding of some of the learning difficulties that apprentices bring, and also some of the hurdles tradespeople face - and from experience I have seen some excellent tradespeople who have reading difficulties, but who have persevered and succeeded.
I know that free isn't free and that I am paying somewhere along the line. And for the record my friend, I have far more interesting things to do than listen to some poxy sales rep try to sell me shit and dress it up as upskilling.
I think as I get older I probably will start to become more motivated to have a say on this stuff.
I started a new apprentice yesterday, who is 3 weeks off completing the Christchurch Polytechs Pre Trade course. Without a word of a lie, when I asked him to go to the van and get me a trap, he didn't know what I was talking about. I asked him if Polytech had taught him about traps and waste pipes and venting and he said they had touched on it but he still didn't know what a trap was. I just find this absolutely staggering. Either I have employed someone who has no knowledge retention, or the CPIT is not doing their job.
My last apprentice didn't know that hacksaw teeth have to face forward. He had completed the pre-trade course.
When I finished my pre trade about 18 years ago at CPIT I could arc mig and tig weld. I could braze and lead burn, fusion weld, make a lead flashing with just a wooden mallet, pipe out a low pressure cylinder, identify, sharpen and care for hand tools. Make water tight joints in all the plumbing pipe systems, design pipe layouts for buildings, lay a drain to a grade.....the list goes on.......
This is why I am pissed off with the 'dumbing down of our trade'