Years of driving a fork lift in Wellington are now a distant memory for EIT Tairāwhiti level three carpentry student Paul Schipper.

He, his wife Ngawini and four of their six children moved ‘home’ three years ago. It wasn’t his home, rather Ngawini’s Ngāti Porou home. However, now happily ensconced in the East Coast lifestyle, Paul has no intention of going anywhere.

The family moved into a whānau home that, by Paul’s admission, was “a little neglected”.
So he wanted to fix what needs to be done . . . properly. When the EIT Tairāwhiti carpentry course was offered, he stepped right up.

“I come from a family of carpenters but I had never really been ready to turn my hand to it.”

At 34, that time has now come and he is thriving on the challenge.

The course started in mid-August and the students did an intensive run of classroom work and first aid studies followed by two weeks at Rāhui Marae where they renovated the kahuta (outside cookhouse).

Now Paul is part of the team who will help restore Tipaka Marae near Ruatoria under the  EIT Tairāwhiti and Te Runanga o Ngāti Porou trades training relationship.

“I have already learnt to measure, measure and measure again – just to be sure! This isn’t a profession that has room for cowboys.”

Paul is already hoping he will make the grade to be asked to move on to the level four programme and an apprenticeship once he gets his current studies behind him.

“I love the work we are doing for the marae – it’s good for us all.”

One of the big bonuses for Paul is just how whanau orientated the region is.

“It is so surreal up here,” he says. “It is an amazing place to live. I am a coastie for life now!”