Signee Update – April

March came and went with a flash! We are now well into April and the weather is a little cooler and the evenings and mornings are darker.

Signee has been busy with course preparation and further selection of candidates provided by the Ministry of Social Development. Seven trainees were selected for the March intake and six of those trainees have just completed the first week of the job seeker course in the classroom.  Unfortunately, one trainee tested positive for covid prior to the course commencing so we hope she will be able to join the group later in the second week.

Topics covered in the classroom portion included applying for roles, preparing for interviews, resiliency, health and safety, intro to sign making and introduction to adobe illustrator and photoshop.

A guest speaker on the course was Toby Marsh from Universal Sign Co who spoke to the trainees about how he entered the industry and shared details on his portfolio which led to him winning Apprentice of the Year 2019.

The trainees are now entering the first week of their work experience and we thank all the sign businesses that are giving their time to assist these trainees.

One of the main areas reviewed by hiring managers when looking to hire new employees is an experience so we appreciate those providing the opportunity to gain that exposure in the sign-making industry.

Contact lists for career advisors within high schools in the South Island is currently being updated prior to updating the North Island.  Signee is working with the advisors to share the information to students and parents about the Signee prevocational training programme.

Lastly, we are collating a few courses that are provided by the industry suppliers, these are listed on our Signee website at www.signee.nz.  Check them out and upskill your knowledge today.