Academy’s first house a milestone for school
Students’ exciting building project up and running
The Hastings Boys’ High School Building Academy’s first build is under way with concrete down and timber framing up.
After a few speed bumps and material delays, the building academy students are building a threebedroom house.
The Hawke’s Bay school is one of nine across New Zealand implementing a building academy programme for year 13 students.
Once the house is completed, the boys will have “real-world” construction site skills and NCEA credits and will have built a house that will go back into the community to help with Hawke’s Bays housing crisis.
Last week the Minister of Housing Megan Woods visited the HBHS Building Academy students and teachers.
Woods chatted with the students about what they thought of the programme and what they wanted to do after they finish school next year.
The Year 13 boys said they are “much more excited about coming to school now”, and they can all see themselves working in the construction industry after they finish school.
Four days a week the boys work on the house on-site at HBHS, then on Fridays they spend the day doing work experience out on building sites in the Hastings community.
Woods said it was fantastic meeting the HBHS Building Academy students.
“These young men are seeing their learning coupled with purpose.
“As Year 13s, they kind of have an idea of what they want to do and they have the security of being in the school environment while still getting a taste of what working life is like,” Woods said.
With the partnerships HBHS has made setting up its building academy, it has connected the students with local tradies and businesses owners, who have seen their enthusiasm, determination and passion for learning a trade.
“These young men are hearing there are jobs and apprenticeships lined up for them next year when they leave school, they have some security about their future and I don’t think we can underestimate giving that to our young people,” Woods said.
Kāinga Ora has joined with trades training in schools to build threebedroom homes that will go back into the community to help with the rental crisis.
Woods wants to see this initiative spread as far as it can across the country.
“What we can do when we build public houses is not only provide people with a warm, safe place to call home, but also create skills, create jobs and stimulate local businesses,” Woods said.
HBHS head of technology Salla Delport said it was great for the school to be recognised nationally for their work linking students to local industries.
“For the boys to have the minister come to visit, it confirmed what they are doing is essential and that there is a shortage and a need for these skills out in the workforce,” Delport said.
Woods thanked the boys for their hard work and told them how important it is that this house is going back into the community.
The HBHS Building Academy plans to build two houses next year and that number will continue to grow as the building academy does.
These young men are seeing their learning coupled with purpose.
Megan Woods