At St Paul’s Collegiate School in Hamilton, a group of Year 13 students has spent the last ten months or so building a house for the school’s Tihoi Venture School campus, learning valuable trade skills along the way.

The initiative was started by two parents – Gavin Jakes and Mark May. Both are builders and own their own construction companies, operating in the Waikato area. Their idea was to offer an alternative course for boys in their final years of school, with a view to providing them with possible career paths in the building industry. The students were supported by their teacher, Heta Smith, and Gavin and Mark, who – along with many others involved in the project – gave up their time for free.

The house was built on an old tennis court at the school and because it was going to be transported to a new site on public roads when it was finished, the house was restricted to a certain width, and had to be completed within a 7m envelope. During the build, the students had the opportunity to work with experienced tradespeople and to see and experience first hand what’s involved in building a house. The house was designed to be the same as the other houses already at Tihoi.

It has three bedrooms, a dining room, shower, toilet, kitchen and drying room. Hot water and heating for the house is produced from a Stanley wood-fired oven using a wetback and solar panels on the roof. One of the students, Jaymz MacKenzie-Hooper, says the point of the project was not just to have a house for eight more students to live in, it was to give the group of eleven students the chance to experience the building industry and sub-trades.

“I personally liked the idea of becoming a builder, as my father, Graham Hooper has worked on many nice houses on Waiheke Island,” says Jaymz. “Some of the boys who wanted to be builders later found out that it was not their thing, while other boys joined the class to see if building could be a career for them.” The students were given the opportunity to work on the project one day a week, with the class being split into two gangs and working on Tuesdays and Thursdays. When the house was completed, it was moved to the Tihoi Venture School campus.

The students spent a week at Tihoi helping to fix the building on piles, carry out drainage and landscaping work and build the front and back decks. Heta says the project has made a significant difference to the lives and future direction of the students involved in it. “They have not only learnt carpentry skills but they have also learnt work habits and work attitudes; traits which will enhance their value to a potential employer or trainer,” says Heta. “The success of this year’s project has laid the foundation for future projects and already planning is underway for next year.”

Jaymz says it was fantastic to see the building progress from the plans on paper to the building being lifted on to a massive truck and heading for Tihoi. “The feeling of making something of that scale and being able to leave it behind for your school and outdoor programme – which I have enjoyed for the last five years – is special and it will be something to look back at and visit as the boys and I get older.” During the project, the students also completed four level 3 unit standards in the National Certificate in Carpentry and a Comprehensive First Aid course.

Two will be starting apprenticeships when they leave – one in carpentry and one in plumbing. Three boys are going to polytechnic to do pre-trade courses and one will study quantity surveying. For Jaymz, the project has given him ideas on what he wants to do and he is currently looking for a plumbing apprenticeship. “During the project I found out that plumbing was the trade I liked best,” says Jaymz. “Working with Craig from GLP [Gavin Loye Plumbing] was awesome and I have learnt new skills that will help me with my future.

“All the builders, teachers and sub-trades, as well as Bunnings Warehouse, put in a massive effort and we would all like to thank them for supporting us and giving all the boys some knowledge and skills to use in the future.”

POSTSCRIPT: Since this article was written, Jaymz has secured an apprenticeship at Gavin Loye Plumbing. We wish him well.