Gisborne woman Chantelle Abraham had left high school when she realised she did need an education to get a career.

But the single mum of two started with a literacy and numeracy course to get her NZQA which set her on a new career pathway and now has full-time work doing something she loves.
With an aptitude to working with her hands and brain, Chantelle wasn’t sure building was the right path for her at first.

“I had moved here from Manawatu in 2015. I wanted to study to do something and I used to work on motorbikes back at home. But I didn’t have that passion for engines so signed up to building.”
As a Te Toka Scholarship recipient available at EIT Tāirawhiti, she was able to pursue a trades career and gain essential skills for trades qualifications.

Because of this, Chantelle completed the NZ Certificate in Construction Trades Skills [Level 3] programme, which  led her onto NZ Certificate in Carpentry [Level 4] managed apprenticeship programme with EIT.

She loved the course and now works full time for JT’s Building Services.

This apprenticeship is now fees-free until 2022 under the Targeted Training and Apprenticeship Fund (TTAF) Government funding.

“It is really important to do the study so you can get the skills and learn the trade. “This is definitely my career path,” she says smiling while enjoying a new deck she had helped build at Te Wiremu
Retirement Village.

“I have been involved in a lot of different building jobs since I started here in November last year…decking, a workshop we built from the ground up..bathrooms..all sorts of things .”
Chantelle does not have a favourite part of her work – she loves “the whole thing”.

“It’s the demolish and then rebuild and you can see the final product. 

I like that part.”

Further  apprenticeship programmes 

APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMMES*
* To be accepted into one of the Apprenticeship Programmes, applicants need to be currently
working in the industry.
▶ NZ Certificate in Light Automotive Engineering [Level 4]
▶ NZ Certificate in Heavy Automotive Engineering – Road Transport,
Plant and Equipment Strands [Level 4]
▶ NZ Certificate in Automotive Electrical Engineering [Level 4]
▶ NZ Certificate in Carpentry [Level 4]