Rudolphs – 80% staff qualified in blaster coating

Friday 28 October 2011

8 staff at Rudolphs Ltd in Whangarei were thrilled to have the Mayor of Whangarei, Morris Cutforth, present their National Certificate in Blaster Coating Level 2. The National Certificates were presented last night in a celebration organised between Rudolphs and EXITO and was well attended by colleagues, Managers, their suppliers, customers and EXITO, the standard setting body for on-job training in the Blaster Coating industry.

The 8 staff at Rudolphs Ltd that achieved the National Certificates are Raymond Goffin, Simon Kristensson, Rob Hita, William Lake, Mathew Marrah, Cameron McKay, Chris Peehikura and Brett Ridings.

“Rudolphs have made a real commitment to supporting these qualifications in their workplace. They can now boast 80% of their staff hold a National Certificate, and are qualified in the job that they do. Few other companies in New Zealand can say this. It was great to see the company sharing their success with their clients also” said Susi Batterbury, EXITO Training Advisor.

“We value these qualifications because they are specifically for our industry, and for a small company it shows clearly that we value our staff and are committed to safe work practices and up-skilling in our workplace” said Caroline Erceg, Rudolphs Director.

The Mayor Morris Cutforth praised the recipients, saying that this qualification was them stepping onto the first rung of the ladder “It’s important now to keep climbing, and passion is what will take you up” he stressed.

In receiving his certificate recipient Mathew Marrah replied that he thought all the guys should keep going, and climb up to Level 3 with the qualifications. All the guys personally thanked Directors Wayne and Caroline Erceg as they received their certificate from the Mayor. William Lake also took time to thank their suppliers and customers “you guys help us to make the job easier’ he said.

Whangarei National MP Phil Heatley also attended and took time to chat with some of the recipients to learn more about what they did. It was always a pleasure, and positive of his job to attend graduations in the region he commented.

National Certificate recipient Brett Ridings explained that their job did get quite technical as they had to mix different coatings accurately to get the correct dry coating thickness “we have a good team and enjoy what we do, so I was pleased to get my certificate here today” he said.

The National Certificate in Blaster Coating Level 2 is part of a suite of qualifications that bring vital skills to the workforce and provide defined career pathways. It covers the health and safety skills required to work in a blaster coating environment and basic techniques. The Level 3 qualification builds on operational knowledge and skills. Qualifications are achieved in the workplace through on-job training which means employees are learning while they are earning.