When Destyn started MAST’s School to Work placement with Super Yacht Coatings in Auckland, Regional Manager Glenn Farr gave the team one instruction: “Get him straight in there – don’t put him on the sidelines.” Destyn at the MAST Campus. Right: Glenn Farr with Detsyn It was MAST Pathways Consultant Fiona van der Hor who took the call from Ko Taku Reo – Deaf Education New Zealand in Auckland about a deaf student interested in boatbuilding, and she knew Glenn and his team’s whānau approach...

At MAST, we know the most powerful learning for any apprentice happens on the job, alongside experienced people who are willing to share their knowledge. Sometimes that’s a supervisor, the company owner, or simply a skilled colleague who takes the time to teach. Whoever they are, workplace trainers play one of the most important roles in our industry. To support workplace trainers, we have developed the MAST Workplace Trainer Certificate – an online course that takes less than an hour to...

Peter O’Connell, MAST Academy Assessor and Advanced Textiles Industries New Zealand Technical Advisor, shares his insights on training an apprentice and why getting the foundations right from day one helps the next few years look after themselves. Image: Peter O’Connell Background: Upholstery work by Bryce Farrow, Total Trim Canvas & Upholstery WORKPLACE CULTURE: This is one area where companies can look at their operation and ask themselves a few questions before taking on an apprentice. Is...