Taking learning to a new level
The days of just sitting in a classroom to learn are long gone – this year, carpentry students at Whitireia are building a house.
Two classes at Whitireia’s Industry Trades Centre in Porirua have been learning on the job while they build the house that will be sold later this year.
Student Tamati Mulligan, 18, said the hands- on experience taught him a lot more than just being in a classroom.
‘‘ You learn different things while building,’’ he said.
When Mulligan left Aotea Collage last year, he knew building was what he wanted to do.
‘‘ It’s something I’ve been interested in for quite a while,’’ he said.
‘‘I had a plan in my head. I was going to take my passion for carpentry to the next level.’’
While he is putting hard work in to seeing the house completed, he has made sure a piece of him will go with it when it is bought.
‘‘I wrote my name on the foundation of it.’’
Carpentry tutor Noel Aunoa said building the house was giving the students a good understanding of how things worked.
‘‘This is probably the best learning tool,’’ he said.
‘‘A lot of guys are doing a lot of extra work because they enjoy it.’’
The house, in its early stages, was blessed last Wednesday by Ngati Toa.
Bunnings supplied the material for the build.
Several of
the
students participating in the build were recipients of Maori and Pacific trades training scholarships.