Plumbing, gasfitting and drain laying pre-apprenticeship
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Duration and study methods
Full-time for 19 teaching weeks
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Start dates
February, July
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Qualification
New Zealand Certificate in Plumbing, Gasfitting and Drainlaying (Level 3)Programme code: NZ2660 -
Credits
70 -
Locations
MIT TechPark
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Entry requirements
Open entry
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Domestic fees
$4,500 (approx.)
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International fees
Not available to international students
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Free* study
Programme highlights
The construction industry is in need of more skilled plumbers, gasfitters and drainlayers and there is plenty of well-paid work available in New Zealand and overseas.
Get the knowledge and hands-on skills you need to take on an apprenticeship in the industry.
You will develop basic skills in residential plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying. You will be taught by lecturers who know their stuff. They are specialists in their field and eager to share their industry contacts with you.
As part of the course, you will visit plumbing businesses and suppliers of plumbing materials. These trips will help you keep pace with current plumbing supplies, installations and new technologies.
Aspects of this programme are physically demanding, please talk with an Ask Me! agent if you face fitness or mobility challenges.
Please note: A small component of this programme is delivered by a sub-contractor.
You may be required to complete literacy and numeracy assessments as part of this programme.
Entry requirements
General
There is open entry to this programme although students must demonstrate a reasonable likelihood of success.
English language entry requirements
You will need English language competence to undertake this programme which is taught and assessed in English (an assessment may be required if your first language is not English).
Selection Criteria
a) To meet legal and health requirements, candidates must be physically able to carry out the practical components of the programme.
b) Where there are more candidates than places available in the programme, selection will be made on the basis of the following criteria:
i) Whether candidates have completed three years of secondary education;
ii) Candidates' academic achievement in NCEA Level 1 and/or NCEA Level 2, or Year 11 and/or Year 12 English and Mathematics; and
iii) Candidates' demonstrated commitment to the industry.
It is important for learners to understand that if you intend to progress to a Plumbing, Drainlaying and/or Gasfitting apprenticeship programme, you will need to register with the Plumbers Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board. The Board will undertake a check with Police to see if the graduate has a criminal record and will then decide whether the graduate is a fit and proper person to be registered. If the graduate has a criminal record this might exclude them from registration.
Give yourself credit with Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)
Did you know you can use the knowledge and experience you already have to your advantage?
Your previous work experience and on-the-job skills, volunteering, professional development, and other providers’ qualifications can be recognised as prior learning, matched against credits in our courses, and put towards your qualification – potentially saving you money and possibly helping you to complete your qualification faster Learn more.
Programme structure
You will need to complete the below five courses (70 credits):
Essential safety skills for PGD (18 credits)
This module will provide you with working knowledge of essential safety responses and how to apply them in given situations.
Patterns, tools, and regulatory and ethical considerations (14 credits)
This module will provide you with working knowledge of the regulatory and personal ethical framework and the ability to work capably when interacting with tools, drawing and sheet metal.
Introduction to drainlaying (11 credits)
This module will provide you with an overview of drainlaying as a career and to gain the knowledge and skills for excavation and trenching.
Introduction to plumbing (23 credits)
This module will provide you with an overview of plumbing as a career and the knowledge and skills related to water basics, water supply pipework and basic sanitary plumbing systems.
Introduction to gasfitting (4 credits)
This module will provide you with an overview of gasfitting as a career and an overview of the trade science in gasfitting including knowledge of gasfitting safety requirements.
Do you want to study a single course, without enrolling into the full programme?
Courses within some of our programmes may be offered as an individual Certificate of Proficiency (COP). Programme entry requirements and course fees apply. For more information, please speak to our friendly Ask Me! team.
Further training or study
Ongoing study is offered and managed through the relevant ITO (Industry Training Organisation). You will need to be employed in your trade to complete Level 4 apprenticeship training. Contact us to find out more about which ITO can support you with your ongoing study.
For potential salaries visit careers.govt.nz.
Career opportunities
Apprenticeship in plumbing, gasfitting, drainlaying or roofing; traineeships within the network reticulation sectors including water, gas and wastewater services.
"I began studying for my certificate in plumbing and gasfitting at MIT instead of doing year 13 at school, and I’m so glad I did. It offered great facilities and our learning was very hands-on, which made it fun. We also had great support throughout from our tutors, who were mostly ex-tradesmen. Their strong industry connections meant we had a head-start when it came to securing a job after graduating.
I got a job before I had even completed my studies. It has a lot of variety including, plumbing, gas fitting, drain laying, roofing, driving diggers, and lifts, as well as organising jobs. Thanks to the support of my MIT tutors I’ve also participated in the Worldskills competition.
If you’re considering MIT, I’d say go for it, it can really take you places. You’ll be well qualified and prepared for the workplace.”
Hunter Turner
MIT graduate
MIT TechPark is an award-winning centre of excellence for engineering and trades.
Having won a Learning Environments Australasia Award which recognises planning, design and construction of educational facilities throughout the region, our state-of-the-art campus is the home of our engineering and trades school. Coupling stunning architectural learning spaces with a myriad of high-tech facilities for our students, it's easy to see why it's been given such high praises.
Our TechPark building is situated on the corner of Lambie Drive and Manukau Station Road. It is across the road from the existing MIT Manukau campus, currently home to the schools of nursing, health and counselling, business, and digital technologies.
"If you’ve got a trade, you’ve got it made! MIT is where the makers are made. The opportunities I have received whilst being at MIT, not only as a student but as a tutorial assistant, have been endless. I believe that I will be able to help MIT create a legacy that will be known for their life-changing opportunities across the nation to rangatahi and their whanau."
Hera Eruera
MIT graduate
Manukau Institute of Technology graduate and former tutorial assistant Hera Eruera is featured on the front cover of Master Plumbers magazine NZ Plumber! Read the full story here:
Ready to put your plans in place?
Information is correct as at 5 March 2025. Programme fees are based on a full-time student and may vary depending on your final selection of courses that make up your programme. Where the fees are indicative, the approximate fees quoted in this publication are based on the indicative 2025 fee structure. The indicative programme fees for 2025 do not include the Compulsory Student Services Fee (CSSF). The CSSF is an additional levy to your 2025 programme or course fees. Further information about the CSSF can be found here www.manukau.ac.nz/cssf. Programmes stated as eligible for free study in 2025 are based on the 2024 fee structure and subject to funding confirmation for 2025. All fees are in New Zealand Dollars. You will be advised of the current fees at the time of enrolment. All courses and programmes will proceed subject to numbers and academic approval. Manukau Institute of Technology is part of Te Pūkenga – New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology. Te Pūkenga is accredited under the provisions of the Education and Training Act 2020. International students must study in class and will not be able to enrol for online study options.