BMW mechanic Cadie Rotherham says she wouldn’t be where she is today if it wasn’t for MIT’s Trades Academy.
After completing her academy programme in 2019, Ms Rotherham went straight into full-time study at MIT’s TechPark. Before moving into a one-year Certificate in Automotive Engineering (Level 3) in late 2020.
A short time later, Cadie was offered an apprenticeship at BMW. Her relationship with MIT continued while finishing some of the requirements for her apprenticeship with block courses at TechPark.
Ms Rotherham at her workstation at Continental Cars BMW, Wairau Park
Trades Academy allows high school students in years 11, 12 and 13 to earn NCEA credits by completing vocational training programmes.
The 10th anniversary of MIT’s Trades Academy will be celebrated with a dinner at Dine Restaurant at the Ōtara Campus on 18 November 2025.
Reflecting on her time at MIT, Ms Rotherham says the academy was an environment where she could really flourish.
“I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do and it was recommended to me to check out Trades Academy. After I went, I realised it wasn’t as hard as I thought it was. I could pick it up quite easily. I thought I might like a job in the industry.
“I’m a hands-on learner so high school didn’t cater for that, but Trades Academy was great because it allowed me to get my hands dirty. I pulled things apart, put it back together. It came naturally to me.
“I hadn’t been in an environment like that before. I found it very interesting. I had Thomas (Senior Lecturer Thomas Cloete) as a teacher. He’s probably the main reason I am a mechanic today.”
Lecturer Thomas Cloete manages all MIT’s Trades Academy automotive programmes. Thomas says he’s really thankful that he could be part of Ms Rotherham’s journey.
“The best part of my job is to see the success at the end. Wherever I go, I seem to bump into a student and I ask them what they’re busy with now. It’s nice to see them move into a trade.”
“Actually, I was invited to the wedding of one of my students in Ōtara. He’s a workshop manager in Australia now.”
Ms Rotherham studied full-time at MIT’s TechPark
“Every time he (Thomas) saw me, he would stop and see how I was going; he would make sure I was ok. It made it really comfortable having people I knew around,” Cadie says.
“TechPark was incredible. Everything was new, the classrooms are really well set out, and it’s close to public transport, so it was really easy to commute there and back if you didn’t have a car. I bused there every day, so it was easy.”
“I made some great friends. It was such a diverse bunch of people. I remember doing an engine rebuild, and one of my partners was deaf, so he had a translator. It was great to see him rebuild the engine, and he could do it like everyone else because he was given a support system. I’m still in touch with some friends and tutors.”
Ms Rotherham working on a vehicle at TechPark
Continental Cars BMW in Wairau Park on Auckland’s North Shore is where Ms Rotherham was employed as an apprentice.
Cadie says she enjoyed the job from the start. “It was such an incredible feeling to know I could come here and work on beautiful cars in an incredible workshop.
“All my managers are supportive and look out for me. I have great relationships with all the technicians. It just means if I have a query or question, I just ask, and people help.”
The majority of the requirements for her apprenticeship were completed on the job, however, if there was a skill she wasn’t getting to practice through the workshop, she did a course at TechPark.
“It usually would just be one or two days, and they would give me a really thorough understanding on the certain system or the certain job that I was doing and it helped me progress in my apprenticeship.”
“It was great. I was familiar with everyone that works there. I knew the premises quite well. I felt quite at home going back there occasionally.”
Ms Rotherham is now a qualified mechanic and BMW technician
She is now a New Zealand-qualified mechanic and a BMW-registered technician.
“My favourite part of the job is interior work, I love removing dashboards and consoles for things like wiring repairs.
“It’s great to hear MIT is celebrating ten years of the Trades Academy. It’s great that a bunch of kids also have the same opportunities that I had.”
Mr Cloete has been working with Trades Academy for most of the ten years and is honoured to be part of the journey for so many.
“It has developed over the years with a lot more practical, more facilitation and digital learning like virtual car mechanics.”
“There needs to be a level of difficulty to challenge the students. It needs to be delivered in a way that’s enjoyable so they want to continue with our programme. It’s designed in that way.
“I wish Cadie all the best; I can really see her reaching great success in her career. I’m really proud of her achievement.”
MIT Trades Academy offers programmes in a wide range of vocations across Manukau, Ōtara and TechPark campuses.
The New Zealand Certificate in Automotive Engineering (level 3) is a one-year, full-time programme that can be started in January or July every year.
