NMIT Automotive

25/09/2026

At NMIT Automotive, we’re all super proud of Charlie Struthers, who has just completed his Level 3 Automotive Engineering Certificate! 👏🔧
Charlie is now taking the next step in his automotive journey, moving on to Level 4 Heavy Vehicle, where he’ll be specialising in Agricultural Engineering.
It’s great to see Charlie’s hard work and commitment paying off. He’s pictured here with his boss, Eddie and tutor Pete, who have been supporting him along the way.
Congratulations, Charlie — we’re looking forward to seeing where your skills take you next! 🚜🔧

12/09/2026

Under sunny skies, our 2026 Campus Open Day kicked into gear today. We opened the workshop to the good people of Nelson and beyond, giving everyone the chance to meet the team and explore how they can ignite their automotive careers.
It was fantastic to see so much enthusiasm for our trade, and we’re grateful to everyone who came along. We hope you enjoyed the day as much as we did — and we look forward to welcoming you onto one of our courses soon. 🌞🚗🚙🚚🚜🚛🚌👌

10/09/2026

The week of celebrations continues with Ben Richards from Mapua Auto Centre, who has successfully achieved his Level 4 Light Vehicle Engineering Qualification.

Ben began his journey with us here at NMIT, completing his Level 3 Light Vehicle qualification through our Pre-Trade programme. During his studies, he gained valuable work experience with the team at Mapua Auto Centre, which ultimately led to a full-time position. Since then, he has gone from strength to strength in the workshop.

I caught up with his manager, Damien, shortly after the presentation. Damien's passion for the automotive industry is every bit as strong as ours, and it was inspiring to hear about his commitment to a "locals supporting locals" approach to both business and employment. It's a philosophy we wholeheartedly support.

Congratulations to everyone involved. As the saying goes, it takes a village, and this village now has another fully qualified automotive technician to be proud of. Ben's achievement is a testament to the support of employers, the team at NMIT Automotive, and the wider community working together to create opportunities and build successful careers.

Well done to Ben, Damien and the entire team at Mapua Auto Centre. 🚗🔧👏

09/09/2026

Congratulations to Chase Banks at Mckendry Ford in Blenheim on the complettion of his Level 3 Light Vehicle Engineering qualification. Chase joined the team at Mckendry straight from school and has now completed the first step on the NZQA workplace training ladder. Well done Chase👏👏👏. Automotive tutor and all round top bloke Julian onsite to do the honors. Great work team. 💪👍

07/09/2026

If you're considering a career in the automotive industry, come and chat with our tutors about the pathway that suits you best. Take your time exploring the workshop and get a real sense of what studying with us is like.
If you’ve got an eye for technology and want to be part of one of the most diverse and fast‑moving industries, automotive could be the perfect fit.
Whether you’re passionate about cars, trucks, diggers, or tractors, our team is here to help you get started.🙂🚚🚗🚜

NMIT Open Day is coming! 📣

Thinking about study in 2027? Come along to Open Day and see what life at NMIT could look like.

Explore our Nelson Campus, discover your study options, meet our tutors and students, and get a feel for where your next step could take you.

There’ll be plenty happening throughout the day, with interactive sessions, campus entertainment and opportunities to ask all your questions.

Bring your friends, whānau or anyone helping you make your study decisions!

🎟️ FREE event

Find out more at https://ap1.hubs.ly/H01jCzR0

04/09/2026

We love it when the workshop is pumping and Fridays are always full-on. Automotive Trades academy, Level 3 light & heavy vehicle cohorts and apprentices all doing their thing. The future of the trade is in safe hands with NMIT Automotive 💪💪🚕🚗🛻🚚🚛🚜

03/09/2026

Celebrations were in full swing at Dean's Truck Services this week as Jesse King was presented with his Level 4 Road Transport Certificate. To make the occasion even more special, it was also Jesse's birthday on the day of the presentation.

Congratulations, Jesse. We are all incredibly proud of your achievement and the dedication you've shown throughout your apprenticeship journey.

Jesse has been well supported along the way by the fantastic team at Dean's Truck Services, including Dean Paynter, Simon Paynter, Isaac Russ, Daniel Krammer, and Dominic Pickett. Unfortunately, Mike Paynter was unable to join the celebration as he was out attending a breakdown and helping keep the business moving. It's tough work, but someone's got to do the mahi. Well done, Mike.

This photo also highlights a special connection we have within the industry. Tutor Pete (left) and Dean (right) have known each other since they were 12 years old. They both began their own apprenticeship journeys in Nelson in 1976, earning their Trade Certificates through Nelson Polytechnic, now known as NMIT, before later going on to establish and run successful businesses of their own.

Over the years, Dean has supported and trained many apprentices through the trade, while Pete has dedicated an impressive 39 years to tutoring and mentoring future technicians. What an outstanding team to have around you while learning the trade.

Congratulations to Jesse and everyone who helped support him along the way. A fantastic achievement and a great example of the strength of our industry and apprenticeship community.

03/09/2026

One of our 2026 Pre-Trade Level 3 Automotive crews got together for a photo shoot today. Getting this many automotive students to stand still, stop talking about cars and all look in the same direction at the same time is an achievement in itself! 🤔👏

Special mention to Tutor Ross for delivering today's standout pose. Whether he was setting the standard or simply exhausted after a big day, the jury is still out.

Awesome work, team. Keep it up! 👏🚗🔧

26/08/2026

Great to see another NMIT Auto apprentice being celebrated in our local media. Thanks to Top of the South Media for their continued interest in our students success. Famous again Jacob.👍💯⭐️

20/08/2026

Hey Rangiora, Kaiapoi, Christchurch, Rolleston, Ashburton & Timaru 👋

Feeling a little… deflated 😒 by your current automotive apprentice management situation?

You’re certainly not alone. 😂

Whether it’s heavy vehicles, plant & equipment, agricultural machinery, auto electrical or light vehicles, we’ve got you covered.

We’re hitting the road again all next week, bringing a little automotive apprenticeship goodness your way. 🚐🔧

And we can’t wait to talk to you about how it’s REALLY done.

Appointments are filling up fast, so if you’d like to sit down with one of our experienced Apprentice Managers/Tutors and have a proper chat about what your apprentices actually need, get in touch now before the calendar slots disappear.

And here’s a little something to ponder…

📚 Next year, our apprentices will have access to more than 12 exclusive weeks of open-plan block course training sessions to choose from.

Yep… 12+ weeks. 😏

How does that compare with what you’ve got to grovel for? 🤣🤣

Our philosophy is pretty simple: do whatever training is needed, when it’s convenient for you and your apprentice.

Because that’s how training is meant to be done.

So, if your current apprenticeship setup has you feeling a bit flat… maybe it’s time for a conversation. 😉

Contact us now and get us in for a chat. Let’s talk apprenticeships, training and how we can make it work better for everyone. 🔧🚗💪