Welcome to the April 2009 BConstructive e-news.
The members of the Built Environment Training Alliance Group (BETA Group) extend warm welcome to
all our new subscribers.
This month we continue the series highlighting the training roles and responsibilities of a member from
the BETA Group of ITO’s with a contribution provided by Creative Trades.
Creative Trades is a member of the BETA Group, a progressive consortium of ITO’s, committed to
continually strive to develop programmes that meet the needs and provide the incentive for self
improvement to a wide range of end users.
We are always pleased to receive constructive feedback which will help improve our resources and
services to education and industry.
In this issue:
•
Latest Statistics and Website Registrations
•
Frequently Asked Questions
•
Glossary of Terms
•
Expiring Elementary Construction Skills (ECS) Unit
Standards
•
Creative Trades ITO Profile and Training
Opportunities
•
Review of Furniture Unit Standards
Latest Statistics and Website Registrations
At the end of March 2009 the total of registered schools and providers had reached :
•
234 Schools
•
25 Private Training Providers
•
12 Polytechnics
Frequently Asked Questions
At the end of year review meetings held late last year, some common themes arose in the questions posed by
schools and providers alike.
In the last issue of this e-news we addressed some of these questions. In this issue we will address a few
more and will continue with even more FAQs over the up-coming months.
Q.1) I have a class of 23 students, so is it necessary to ask each of them all the oral questions?
A. 1) No. The oral question banks are provided as an additional assessment tool from which the assessor can,
if required, select a specific question in order to confirm the competence of a student or trainee.
Q.2) Are we able to obtain a replacement Elementary Construction Skills’ disc?
A. 2) No. The information contained on the ECS disc is now obsolete and the disc destroyed. All the current
resource and assessment material is now available free of charge for all schools and accredited tertiary
providers, from the BConstructive website.
Q.3) What options do I have when a student provides an answer to a worksheet question which is different
from the model answer but as the assessor I consider equally correct?
A. 3) The model answers are provided as a guide only. There are many reasons why variations can be
expected and assessors must use their professional judgement to determine if the answers are in accordance
with standard practice, NZ Standards and Government Legislation.
Q. 4) Where on the BConstructive website do we find the latest changes to the resources.
A. 4) Latest changes are available by clicking on, ‘Site Notes and Changes’ located in the left hand panel on
the BConstructive website home page.
Glossary of Terms
One of the questions put to the review meetings related to the definitions contained in each module’s Glossary
of Terms.
While we have made every effort to ensure that the information is accurate and comprehensive, the feedback
received indicated that we could improve on the quality and quantity of this material.
So if you have any suggestions for specific and related definitions to populate a comprehensive Glossary of
Terms, please submit them by e-mail to info@bconstructive.co.nz
Expiring Elementary Construction Skills (ECS) Unit Standards
At the beginning of each year NZQA provides ITO’s with statistics relating to the credits achieved by secondary
school students during the previous year.
The 2008 report received earlier this year indicates that many schools continue to assess against expiring
versions of the Elementary Construction Skills unit standards.
Teachers need to check that they are assessing against the current version of the standards contained in the
Building, Construction and Allied Trades Skills (BCATS) domain.
The ECS unit standards and qualification will expire at the end of 2010 and the last date for entry into the ECS
qualification was 31 March 2008.
Schools need to be aware that to avoid disadvantaging students, they should not be teaching new students
ECS unit standards any more. (They can still continue to award these units until 31 December 2010 – but only
if the student was entered in the programme prior to 31 March 2008.)
Creative Trades ITO Profile and training opportunities
The Built Environment Training Alliance (BETA) is made up of six
construction-related Industry Training Organisations, committed to working
together to help schools and providers graduate capable, confident, self
motivated and contributing members of society.
Here is a brief outline of the Creative Trades ITO’s major responsibilities and a link to their website.
Creative Trades is the Industry Training Organisation that develops and manages qualifications in sign making,
brick and block laying, stonemasonry and monumental masonry as well as painting and decorating.
Our staff work with employers and apprentices in each of these sectors and advise them on training and career
pathways. We develop and maintain qualifications, set standards, help arrange formal training and provide
support to ensure our industries have the right people who are able to access relevant and achievable
qualifications.
Apprenticeships and the formal recognition of skills in the creative trades can be traced back through history.
The ancient societies of Egypt, Babylon, Assyria, Greece, and Rome all recognised a need to teach people a
trade to make sure they had a sufficient supply of skilled people to build their empires.
In medieval Europe, masonry apprentices started at age 14, lived with the boss and duties could include taking
care of the ‘master’ when he was ill! An apprentice painter in London in the 1800’s would start his day at 7am
and finish at 9pm and be bonded to his ‘master’ for seven years.
While some things have certainly changed – the basics remain the same. Skilled trades’ people are still
committed to passing on their knowledge and expertise on to others.
It doesn’t matter where their talents or interest lie - for young people thinking about their future career
opportunities, doing an apprenticeship in one of the creative trades gives them access to a career that lets
them work to their strengths, and achieve a National Certificate which provides formal recognition of their
talents and skills.
The skills needed in the creative industries and the career opportunities available in the trades we cover are
about as diverse as you get. Indoors or outdoors, high tech or hands on, from the physical challenge of
bricklaying to the artistic elements of carving marble, from the detailed attention needed to successfully sign
write a car to the communication skills required to explain an architects paint specifications.
When a young person commits to an apprenticeship with an employer in one of the creative trades, they are
embarking an exciting and challenging career with great prospects and outstanding potential for success.
For more details on starting an apprenticeship with Creative Trades ITO – please contact us on:
0800 200 486.
For further information on the Creative Trades ITO please visit our website at: www.creativetradesito.co.nz
Review of Furniture Unit Standards
Recently the Forest Industries Training and Education Council (FITEC) conducted a complete review of the
qualification structures for the furniture industry.
Included in this review are the six furniture unit standards presently embedded in the BConstructive
qualifications.
The changes to unit standards 18915, 18917, 18918, 18916 and 9788 are considered major changes and will
have a significant impact on their location and the delivery within both the BConstructive programmes.
The main changes resulting from this review are:
•
Unit standards 18915, 18917, 18918 have been reclassified from level 1 to level 2.
•
Unit standard 18916 is expiring and will not be replaced.
•
Unit standard 9788 has had major changes and will be replaced by two new units, one at level 2 and
one at level 3.
•
Unit standard 20047 has had minor changes to it, resulting in it maintaining its current unit number
and being issued as a new version.
As a result of these changes the BETA Group are currently considering the options required to amend the
qualifications.
A decision on the future of the furniture units remaining in the qualifications is expected to be confirmed soon
and will be announced in an upcoming issue of BConstructive e-news.
In the meantime, panic not! Everything is business as usual until otherwise notified. That means if you’re
currently teaching the old versions of the furniture unit standards, there are transition arrangements that mean
your students will not be disadvantaged in any way. And if you’re not teaching these particular unit standards
as part of your programme, you don’t have to do anything!
For further information and any queries relating to the programme, please contact:
Les Wilson
BCITO
Qualifications Project Manager.
BConstructive.
les.wilson@bcito.org.nz