14/03/2006

Graduates celebrate

Otorohanga apprentices were honoured during an elaborate ceremony on March 2.
Held at Beattie Home's Wilshier Centre, the inaugural Otorohanga Mayoral Graduation recognised 12 local apprentices and Otorohanga Trade Training Centre graduates who have earned trade qualifications.
The graduates were Thomas Garrick, Mark Hughes, Shaun Beattie, Brett Fleming, Michael McFarlane, Ryan Walters, Shaun Bernasconi, Campbell Falconer, Andrew Julian,
Darren Speight, Karl Thurston and Bryn Williams.
Seen as a way of celebrating the successes and achievements of our local apprentices and Otorohanga Trade Training Centre graduates, about 100 people attended the event.
The ceremony included footage of each graduate in their workplace and presentations of certificates.
Mayor Dale Williams, who has a trade certificate in motorcycle engineering, said the event was important as it was a way of recognising qualified tradespeople on the same level as university graduates.
In his speech Mr Williams referred to the disappointment he felt when he received his certificate in the mail "in a plain envelope, creased and crinkled from the postal service".
"I remember being suitably underwhelmed and I vowed then if I was ever in a position of influence I would like to redress that disappointed feeling that was shared by my fellow graduates then and since.
"My elder brother had passed his university diploma the year before after three years study and participated in a lavish week-long celebration ending in a prestigious capping ceremony honouring his achievements and rightly so, but I wanted to know why the community didn't place similar value on my hard-earned trade qualification."
Mr Williams said he is pleased that qualified tradespeople are finally being more recognised.
"Most of the highly successful trade businesses in Otorohanga are owned and operated by trade qualified people and a tradesman or woman is now finally one of the most highly paid and sought after professions in this country and most of the world.
"Your New Zealand qualification will take you anywhere and you will be employed and valued," he said.
During the evening it was announced the Mayors Taskforce for Jobs and Employment Catalyst Fund had approved a $50,000 contribution to the trade apprenticeship coordinator role at Otorohanga Trade Training Centre.
While McDonald's Lime Ltd also contributed a second $10,000 scholarship.
McDonald's Lime announced the first scholarship at the centre's official opening last June.
Mr Williams said he hopes to make the graduation ceremony an annual event.

Notable small libraries include Kawhia

Kawhia War Memorial library is featured in a recently published book entitled Small Libraries of New Zealand.
Author Margaret Jenner was inspired to publish the book when she first saw the tiny library at Ferry Landing on the Coromandel and the quaint library in Albany, just north of Auckland.
The 45 small libraries, most established years ago, throughout New Zealand are all quite different and all have a 'story to tell'.
Kawhia, as a war memorial library, was originally run by soldiers' wives.
Dame Audrey Culley OBE was recognised for her services as a volunteer before becoming the first paid librarian:
Today librarian Suzzarna Henry runs the libary with help from a team of volunteers.
She is proud of the fact that only once in the past six years did the library remain closed - when Kawhia had a town funeral - and no-one was available to be on duty.
Suzzarnah said the team of volunteers is invaluable - "I could not run the library without them." It is a branch library of Otorohanga Library and every three weeks new books come in on a six month rotation basis which means there is always new stock arriving.
"We have just completed a library survey and the results were over whelming - people wanted the library service to continue."
The library has 'talking books' for visually impaired readers - these come on a regular basis from National Library Service via the Otorohanga Library.