Richard Graves, Invercargill

Masterlink host Richard Graves has two Masterlink apprentices on the 15-strong team at his Invercargill business, which offers plumbing, drainlaying, electrical, heating and ventilation services.

“I chose to use Masterlink because I liked the fact that there is someone else supporting the apprentice in the background – someone you can fall back on if there are any issues,” says Richard.

He also appreciates the fact that Masterlink takes care of the payroll, HR and admin issues that businesses normally have to deal with when taking on an apprentice.

As a Master Plumbers member, Richard was keen to get behind the Masterlink scheme because it is 100% owned by Master Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers NZ.

Having Masterlink’s South Island regional coordinator Roger Herd on hand to mentor his apprentices is a great advantage, too, says Richard. “Roger lets my guys know they can ring him with any queries. They have all the help there they could possibly want.”

Both of Richard’s apprentices are coming into the third year of their training, and he hopes to see them fully qualified and registered by the middle of this year. With residential plumbing and drainage and new housing making up around 70% of the company’s work, the pair are getting plenty of hands-on work experience, laying drains and doing pre-slab, piping out and finishing off.

The fact that Masterlink vets and tests all potential apprentices before accepting them into the Masterlink programme is a good thing, believes Richard. It can be hard finding youngsters who are motivated to study for four years, so it’s great to know that Masterlink explains what’s expected from the start and provides the apprentice with a career plan to help keep them on track.

That, combined with the quarterly appraisal ensures that each apprentice is equipped with as much advice, support and encouragement as possible. “My guys have got the knowledge,” says Richard. “Now it’s down to time and experience.”