A pest control trap. Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon
An apprenticeship programme helping people into pest control has wrapped up with concerns the industry may face another skills shortage without more support.
Close to 60 apprentices have graduated from the two-year predator free apprentice programme, which started in 2020 with funding from Jobs for Nature.
Predator Free New Zealand Trust chief executive Jessi Morgan said it had helped to address the experienced workforce shortage and create a clear career pathway in the industry.
"They will genuinely be the future leaders of this movement, which we're really proud of," she said.
Graduates gained the qualifications, skills, confidence and connection to community to carry out their work, while helping to grow and upskill the organisations that hosted them, Morgan said.
Now that funding had ended, they were looking for alternative investment so they could continue the programme.
"I think we'll end up having a skills shortage in this predator-free sector, so when we're ready to really accelerate the number of projects around the country or the land area that we're covering, we're not going to have enough skilled operators to do that work," Morgan said.
"That's a real problem if we're going to achieve the 2050 goal."
The minimum amount they could receive to create a viable programme with 15 apprentices over two years was $1.5 million per annum, but it could easily be scaled up, she said.