transitions in the south waikato labour market: an ethnographic study

Only four people did full-time training and two of these were employed at the time.One is the man who joined the Police and spent six months at the Police College forbasic training. This training continued for a probationary period, though this was moreakin to part-time study on top of full-time duties, with officers having to completemodules every few weeks. When interviewed he had been working as a constable forover six years during which time he and his family had relocated twice. As was notedearlier, he had firm plans regarding his future and was involved in ongoing educationand training. The other man who was employed managed to get an adultapprenticeship in fitting and turning.In 1981 we were in Australia and I worked in a engineering firm and at thisstage I had no qualifications of the sort and in that firm I found out whatfitting and turning is all about and decided on what I would like to do.When we came back to New Zealand in late ‘81, early 82 I got a job … Ifirst started as a labourer … [then] I transferred over to a trades assistant.Not wanting to be in unskilled work all his life, he decided to try for an adultapprenticeship. As noted before, to prepare for this and give himself the best chance ofbeing accepted he took some correspondence courses. As it turned out, he was ratherfortunate since the company was intending to take on youth apprentices but acceptedhim instead. He had been qualified for over seven years when interviewed and, thoughfeeling the money could be better, he enjoyed the work.In one of the two remaining cases, the woman had been out of school and periodicallyworking for some time when she took a year long polytech course in what wereexceptional circumstances. Whilst doing this course in kitchen skills she cared forseven children (of various ages), worked part time, and did voluntary work as atruancy officer. She had been prompted to do the programme as she was keen to get aparticular position that was coming up but that required some formal qualifications.Whilst she enjoyed and benefited from the course, she never got the job she was after.Instead, she continued with the home care work she was doing. About four years latershe was able to get a job utilising the skills she had gained at polytech. The last caseinvolves a young man who spent six months working full-time after leaving schooland then went to university to complete a farming course. 1 This helped him get aseries of farming jobs and to achieve his current position as a share milker, though hewas still working towards increasing the size of his herd and eventually buying hisown property. He was the only person in this age group who undertook a course.In a separate category is a woman who engaged in two courses for people who wereunemployed. She is one of the school leavers considered next. The courses were inhorticulture and decorating and were very practically orientated given her descriptionof the latter one.We went around and painted houses and we did up the [local] hall ... Wedecorated inside and out, we did that. Wall papered houses. Painted housesinside and out.Since she was the only person to be involved with such programmes, little can bedrawn from her experiences. She became pregnant at the end of the second course anddid not seek work so their utility in better equipping or connecting her with_____________________________________________________________________1 The university courses start and finish mid-year to match the farming cycle.16