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About the role

Specialisations

Apprenticeship trades | Engineering & Technical trades
Entry type

General entry, Apprenticeships
Under training

$68,103
Location

Linton

As a Carpenter, your primary role is vertical construction - such as constructing a field hospital to humanitarian relief construction tasks in disaster struck areas. You will work with all sorts of material and in all sorts of situations, both in New Zealand and overseas. You will receive training under the BCITO apprenticeship scheme to qualify in Level 4 New Zealand Certificate in Carpentry. Once qualified your skills will be called upon everywhere the Army goes.

You will be trained to do everything that a civilian equivalent carpenter can do, but with all the Army skills (weapons training, fitness etc) as well! Your civilian qualification will be recognised throughout New Zealand and will prove that you have the knowledge and ability to build almost anything you are tasked with. You will also have all of your tools supplied for you, free of charge.

Applications

This role may not be recruited for 6-12 months but we'd encourage you to apply early. You can check in-demand trades for our next intakes

Requirements

Basics

Must be 18 years old by the time you graduate from recruit course.
Eligible to meet national security clearance criteria, as stipulated by the Government's Protective Security Requirements.
Any practical or construction experience will make you a more competitive applicant

Education

3 years secondary school.

^{Note, qualifications may be used to assess trade suitability.}

Fitness & Medical

Citizenship

There are strict citizenship and security requirements to gain the required CV security clearance for this trade.
Find out if you’re eligible here.

Period of Service

Once you have completed training you will be required to give a 24 month return of service to the NZ Army.

We offer guidance on entry requirements in our eligibility section. Apply if you're uncertain, as we’ll work through the criteria with you to determine if you can proceed.

NZ Army leads building work on remote Tongan island group post eruption

“Working with electricians, carpenters and plumbers from different countries was stressful at times – there was a bit of a language barrier to begin with, but we were able to work through it, helped by our similarity in training."

LEARN MORE

Job on base

A Carpenters main role while on camp is construction, building and maintaining assets on camp. You will primarily work within the School of Military Engineering (NZ) or the Engineer Regiment, providing both construction and combat engineering capabilities. Once qualified work locations include Linton and Burnham.
Job on deployment

While on deployment Carpenters will be used to put their vertical construction skills into use in building new camp facilities overseas or maintaining and repairing existing facilities. Royal New Zealand Engineers (RNZE) personnel can be found in small contingents around the globe. Places they have previously been deployed include Antarctica, Afghanistan, Bougainville, Vanuatu, Fiji, Bosnia, Timor Leste and Iraq.

Career progression and training

01Basic Training

Basic Training

Upon successful enlistment into the Army you will be posted to Waiouru Army base. Here you will do 16 weeks of basic military training to find out if you have what it takes to be in the Army, and learn various subjects including:

Organisation and Administration
Army Customs and Protocol
Drill and Parades
Military Field Skills and Weapon Training
First Aid
Physical Fitness

02Job Training

Job Training

BASIC COMBAT ENGINEER COURSE

This is an eight week course held at the School of Military Engineering, Linton Military Camp. This is the first course conducted for most trades within the Royal New Zealand Engineers (RNZE). It introduces you to the combat side of being an engineer before you undertake your specific trade. The course covers the basics of field engineering including bridging, water supply, explosives, field defences, obstacles, booby traps, boating and other subjects. After the course, you will have a good understanding of field engineering and also be qualified as an Army (explosives) Demolition Handler.

CARPENTRY APPRENTICESHIP

Your building apprenticeship is conducted over 4-5 years, completing Industry Training Organisation aligned Unit Standard competencies. You will learn a mixture of theory and practical construction work and complete an NZQA Certificate in Carpentry.

ADVANCED CARPENTRY QUALIFICATIONS

Qualified personnel will be given the opportunity to undertake additional study in the Level 4 New Zealand Certificate in Construction Related Trades (Supervisor) to enable you to qualify as a site foreman and project manager.

Once you have completed your apprenticeship training you will be required to give a two year return of service to the NZ Army.

03Career Progression

Career Progression

As your career progresses, you can move into the Army Works career path and later into a project manager's role. This is an important job, as you assist in the management of the Defence Force building assets, and it also offers the widest range of job locations.

Benefits & allowances

Earn a competitive salary while training or learning your trade, along with additional allowances for time spent in the field, at sea, overseas, or deployed on operations.

In addition to salary and allowances, other benefits of joining the New Zealand Defence Force include:

Access to your Service marae or tūrangawaewae
Sponsored tertiary study programmes at all levels
Free access to gyms and swimming pools on camp and bases
Opportunities to travel
Free and subsidised medical and dental care
Subsidised food and accommodation on camps and bases
Free and subsidised insurance cover
Help to buy a home and save for retirement

Salary & benefits

Careers in the Army are well-rewarded, diverse and exciting. As you become more experienced and move up through the ranks, gaining additional skills and qualifications, your salary will rise accordingly.

Under training

$68,103
Future potential earnings

$98,000

Am I fit enough?

If you want to be part of the NZ Defence Force you need to be medically and physically fit for military duties worldwide.

Medical & Fitness

The application process

Your step-by-step guide on what to expect at various stages of the application process, specifically for military roles.

Application process

Ready to start your Army career?

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