News and Blogs
FCTA Apprentices Win HIA Awards for Bricklaying
Congratulations to Mark Thomas and Maurice Altamura, who both won awards at the HIA–Stratco Apprentice & Trade Contractor Awards held on Friday 16 March at Stratco St Marys. This year they had a record number of attendees with feedback from those who attended...
First Short Course in Acrylic Rendering
We ran our first course this week, with our test student, David. Feedback was really positive, and the results David achieved, outstanding. Now we've been able to work through the course and the best way to deliver quality training, we will be running these courses on...
Week 2 CITB Pt Augusta Pre-Apprenticeship Course
The Pt Augusta Youth Centre provided FCTA with the facility being used for this course. Finding a suitable location for training had been one of the issues preventing similar courses being run in Pt Augusta. Over the coming weeks the pre-apprenticeship team will begin...
Wk 1 Pt Augusta CITB Pre-Apprenticeship Course
The first week of the CITB Pt Augusta Pre-Apprenticeship course, and the participants have already started learning how to lay bricks. FCTA takes training out of the classroom, and focuses on the development of practical hand skills. This helps our students gain an...
5 Day Short Courses in Rendering
We receive lots of enquiries from people wanting to learn how to render. In response we have developed 2 new short courses, one in acrylic rendering, and one in traditional rendering. These courses run during the week, but weekend times can be negotiated if there are...
Delays in Having Builders Licence’s Approved
The Advertiser has a report on Trade Licence Delays claiming that applicants are waiting up to 4 months to have their applications approved. APPRENTICES are waiting four months for their licences to be approved, costing them $300 a week in wages and lost opportunities...
ABBTF Announces a NEW Incentive to Employ Apprentice Bricklayers
The Australian Brick & Blocklaying Training Foundation (ABBTF) have just announced an additional incentive: The new ‘Brickstart Bonus’ involves a $1,000 incentive for employers who take on a new apprentice between 2 January 2012 and 30 April 2012 and is payable to...
Port Augusta Pre-Apprenticeship Course – Commences March 19th
FCTA- Building Careers have run numerous Pre-apprenticeship courses over the years, and have found these courses to be a great way for people to gain work in the construction industry. The course runs for 10 weeks, and is full time from 8am - 3:30pm Monday - Friday....
Pt Augusta Pre-App Course *Register your interest*
FCTA are in the process of arranging to run, one of the very popular, pre-apprenticeship courses in Pt Augusta. If you are interested, please contact us via email at info@fcta.com.au. The course will commence in March at a date to be confirmed.
Open from January 9th, 2012
By now all apprentices and employers should have received a copy of their scheduled trade school times. We are a flexible business, so if you need to arrange different dates, please contact us for any changes at admin@fcta.com.au. As always, if you need to send your...
Outstanding Pre-apprenticeship Award Winner: Angelo Calabria
FCTA- Building Careers have introduced an award for the most outstanding student to complete a pre-apprenticeship. Angelo was voted the best pre-apprentice by the trainers who worked with the team every day, with an average score of 90% across all his practical...
CITB Pre-apprenticeship Update
The students have graduated with a Certificate II in Construction Pathways. This group has been enormously rewarding to work with, with a possible 5 apprenticeship outcomes. We celebrated with a team BBQ and presentation of the certificates.
CITB Pre-apprenticeship Course, Wk 9 Update
With only 1 week left, most of the team are either trying to complete final tasks, or on work experience. Brandon has been offered a solid plastering apprenticeship after completing a weeks worth of work experience. Which makes 2 confirmed apprenticeship, with another...
CITB Pre-apprenticeship course – week 8 update
The team have now decided on their preferred trades, and are now completing some advanced projects. Quite a few of the students have been completing work experience this week, but will back to provide updates on their experience next week.
Increasing the driver’s license age will impact apprenticeships
The state government is proposing changes to the driving license system, that may results in people not being able to hold a "P-plate" license until they are 18. Amongst a range of propositions being put forward, the idea of increasing the age to 18 will have a...
Apprentice Update – Ray completes Certificate III in Bricklaying
Ray completed a pre-apprenticeship course at FCTA before finding work as an apprentice bricklayer. This week he completed all his trade school training, with his final project - building a fireplace.
CITB Pre-apprenticeship Course – Week 7 Update
This week the students continued on with tiling and solid plastering tasks. After a hectic few weeks, all the students have now had the chance to work on tasks in Bricklaying, Tiling and Solid Plastering. This helps students work out which trade they most enjoy before...
FCTA BBQ time
FCTA is a family business, started by Jim Baff in 2001 and grown by Lorraine Baff since Jim's retirement. Each month we like to have a BBQ with all the students so we can hear about what's happening in the industry. It's a popular event and a good way to get to know...
Apprentice Updates
Daniel Telling has completed his last unit as an apprentice, and will now be going through the 'sign off' procedure to officially become a fully qualified Bricklayer. FCTA trainer, Paul Adams, rates Daniel as amongst the best bricklayers he's seen. Attached are some...
CITB Pre-apprenticeship Course – Week 6 Update
Congratulations to Cameron from the CITB Pre-apprenticeship team! Cameron has gained work tiling after completing some work experience with a former FCTA Apprentice. The rest of the team are very interested in getting onsite to learn more about the trade, and...