Carpentry (Level 4)

What’s included in this part of the Building Pathways project

• the review of the New Zealand Certificate in Carpentry.
• the development of new skill standards listed in the table below.
• specifying which skill standards will be required to achieve the New Zealand Certificate in Carpentry in the future.

The process we followed

We’ve consulted extensively with employers, learners, and providers throughout 2025 to gather feedback on the current qualification and opportunities for improvement.

We worked closely with our Technical Advisory Group to design an updated Carpentry qualification based on the feedback we received.

We held a series of regional events and invited learners, employers, and providers to provide feedback on proposals for a new, fit-for-purpose Carpentry qualification. These events were focused on confirming that:

• the skills in the qualification align with industry’s expectations
• the proposed changes enhance the qualification pathway and make sure that it makes sense
• qualifications strike the right balance between core skills and flexibility, so the qualifications work for different roles and situations.

The new qualification graduate profile outcomes (GPOs) have been reviewed and align with the newly developed core construction and carpentry skill standards.

Key updates to the qualification

How this information is presented

We’re presenting this information to show how the proposed qualification outcomes and mandatory skill standards fit together to form the framework for the updated apprenticeship.

The information in the table below adds detail to the framework:

• Graduate Profile Outcomes – these high-level statements describe what a graduate of the qualification will know, do and be.
• Aligned skill standards – these are the standards ākonga (learners) will need to achieve to meet the graduate outcomes, and ultimately the qualification. We’ve included skill standards at L2, 3 and 4 to recognise progression during the apprenticeship.

Proposed New Zealand Certificate in Carpentry (version 3)