Peter Faul, Queenstown

Queenstown Plumber, Peter Faul, was so enthusiastic about the Masterlink programme as a result of being a host that he volunteered to go on the national board. Although he has now retired from the board, he is still a fervent supporter of the programme, and currently has four Masterlink apprentices on his staff of 17 at his Queenstown business, Advantage Plumbing.

A heating, ventilation and air conditioning engineer by training, Peter’s business provides a wide range of building services in the scenic Queenstown area, but he reckons about 75% of his work is plumbing.

He says he has always taken on apprentices, every year since 1987 when he set up in business for himself. Five years ago he merged with another Queenstown company in a similar line of business and last year he bought his partner out.

So why is he so outspokenly supportive of Masterlink?
On one side, he says it has resulted in huge improvement in the calibre of the people becoming accepted as apprentices. While applicants must meet a number of criteria, Peter gives much of the credit for this improvement to the regional co-ordinators, such as Roger Herd, who he says is very pro-active in finding quality apprentices and matching them up with the ideal host companies.

On the other side are the benefits to the host companies, which he says are many. From a purely commercial point of view, it removes the responsibility for administering the training from the host and lets them get on with their business.

But it is the quality of the Masterlink training, enhanced by its support systems, that most impresses him - these turn out apprentices who are more productive and capable during their training life cycle, he said. The mentoring programme is invaluable, and the breadth of experience and expertise that Masterlink brings has a major impact on the apprentices.

He sees it as an extremely cost-effective way for employers to provide training which turns out top quality apprentices.