TradeBase Launches: A New Partnership Bringing Real Construction Skills to Local Schools

Breen Construction is proud to announce the launch of TradeBase, a regionally focused initiative designed to raise the standard of school-based trade training. This new programme is being delivered in partnership with Dunstan High School and Wakatipu High School, alongside academic provider, BCITO and local industry partners.

Unlike traditional programmes, TradeBase offers students structured, competency-led learning on real Breen construction sites, right on school grounds. Students gain practical experience, earn NCEA credits, and learn what best-in-class workmanship looks like without leaving their school community.

This year, students will build 69m² transportable homes on site at each school. For Dunstan, the finished build is intended for hostel accommodation. For Wakatipu, it is likely to be sold into the community. These projects give students the chance to showcase their work to peers and teachers. The programme at Dunstan High School is also open to students from any high school in Central Otago and Queenstown Lakes, alongside NEET students from MSD. The additional MSD partnership is a pilot for 2026.

Oded Nathan, Wakatipu High School Principal, says: “WHS is thrilled to partner with Breen Construction so that we may continue to offer our students this valuable learning opportunity and to support students with their passions and pathways in the construction industry.”

Lindsay Breen, Managing Director of Breen Construction, adds: “The construction industry has always invested in apprentices, but too often our sector is seen as a backstop for school leavers. We want to change that. TradeBase puts construction in front of talented kids who might not be traditional academics, but who are creative, solution focused and practical. TradeBase is being designed to give students are real sense of achievement. If we succeed, out the other end will come competent trainees who hopefully will want to become apprentices or move into other areas of construction. Our intention with TradeBase is to invest in and raise the bar for our industry and our communities through enabling access to life-long learning opportunities. We can’t do it without forward-thinking schools, academic partners like BCITO, and our trade partners. We’re excited to see this programme develop and scale.”

What is TradeBase?

Real Skills. Real Sites. Real Futures.

Designed as a foundational, career launching program, TradeBase is a Breen led initiative supporting the skills development of young people looking to enter construction trades.

Where other programs like Gateway or Trades offer valuable exposure to our industry, TradeBase by Breen goes further. We deliver real industry experience in a controlled, consistent and high-quality environment. Students don’t just visit a job site – they become part of a structured learning journey, guided by Breen professionals and supported by competency-based training, that delivers NCEA credits and aligns with unit standards.

TradeBase is a place where practical learning meets real-world experience. With a focus on carpentry and construction fundamentals, TradeBase by Breen helps students build confidence, capability, and can help deliver a clear pathway into the workforce.

Will Breen expand the TradeBase programme to other locations?

We are focusing our efforts on making sure the students at Wakatipu High School and Dunstan High School have an excellent experience in 2026. Any discussions with other schools, in other locations, will be announced in due course. We are open to conversations.

 

For questions or media inquiries, please contact:

Michegro Chisholm

Chief Marketing Officer, Breen Construction

Michegro.chisholm@breen.co.nz

021 280 4076