Lately, several employers have raised the same concern.
They have skilled tradies who have been with them for years. These workers are trained, experienced, and already part of the team. But their 5 year work visa may be coming to an end.
So what happens next?
Do you lose a valuable employee? Delay projects? Start recruiting again and spend months retraining someone new?
There may be a better option.
One of the smartest long term solutions is to upskill your tradies while they are still working. This can help move them closer to New Zealand recognised qualifications and stronger residence pathways.
Many migrant workers already have years of hands on experience, either overseas or in New Zealand. What they often lack is a recognised NZ Level 4 qualification.
That is where work based training can help.
For example:
- BCITO supports building and construction trades
- Competenz supports welding, engineering, and fabrication
- Connexis may support civil infrastructure roles
The benefit is simple. Your employee keeps working while building evidence toward qualification. They do not need to stop contributing to the business.
How the process works
First, the worker must already be employed in the trade.
Next, the employer contacts the relevant training organisation and enrols them.
A training advisor then reviews the worker’s existing experience. This is especially important for migrant tradies, because previous skills and years of experience may count toward the qualification.
From there, the worker continues on the job while collecting evidence such as:
- photos
- job sheets
- supervisor sign offs
- site assessments
- theory modules
Once all competencies are completed, they can achieve an NZQA Level 4 qualification.
For many migrant workers, this creates a practical pathway to align their skills with New Zealand standards and strengthen their future in the country.
Instead of waiting for the perfect candidate, employers can focus on building and keeping the right team.
At the end of this blog, watch our YouTube live video where we explain this in more detail.
