Kaiwhakaako

Instructor

Instructors (Kaiwhakaako) use their trade knowledge and skills to positively shape people’s futures.

They support and mentor people in prison to gain new qualifications and skills, to improve their chances of finding employment on release from prison.

The role

Instructor helps someone with building the roof of a house

Bring your experience and skills

Our instructors come from a range of trade industries, including carpentry and construction, painting, agriculture, catering, engineering and more.

A catering instructor teaches a woman in prison how to make coffee at Auckland Region Womens Corrections Facility

Guide and mentor

Instructors mentor and oversee people's work to gain qualifications, providing guidance and assessing their skills in a professional manner.

Through helping to people to gain skills for employment, their work can make a positive difference.

Horitculture istructor holds punnet of growing grass out to two men taking part in industry training

Manage industry activities

Instructors undergo the same training as Corrections Officers, to help equip them to supervise industry activities and manage people in a custodial environment. They may also be asked to work as a Corrections Officer from time to time.

What you need to know

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Salary

Salary range of $70,014 to $87,691 before progressing into senior roles

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Career progression and training

Initial learning pathway – 10 weeks Corrections Officer Development Pathway (which includes some time away in Upper Hutt)
Career progression to Principal Instructor roles ($89,790 - $99,589) or management

wellbeing

Skills and experience

Experience working in trades
Good communication skills, with the ability to motivate and nurture people's talents
Team player, dependable, honest and observant
Full New Zealand Driver Licence

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Hours of work

Rostered rotating shifts including nights, weekends & public holidays

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Time off

Four weeks holiday annually

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Environment

Based at one of our 18 prison sites

Latest jobs

We have vacancies across the motu in a range of careers. Explore the current vacancies and start your journey with us today!




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Our stories

Read stories from our instructors.

What does it take to run a kitchen inside a prison?

Gareth, a catering instructor from Invercargill Prison, shares some insights into his role preparing meals for the site, and passing his skills on to people in prison.

Strengthening our engineering pathway to employment

Employment in Engineering is that much closer for men learning the trade at Christchurch Men’s Prison.

Laying the foundations for participation

The day begins at 8am in the Rolleston Prison Construction Yard, when around 60 men leave their prison units, put on their hardhats, pick up their tools and get to…