Balwinder Singh

Balwinder Singh had done some work as a carpenter, however wanted to improve his skill at finishing work, and learn a lot more about house building in particular. So he chose a New Zealand education, enrolling for a one-year Certificate in Carpentry (Level 4) at the Bay of Plenty Polytechnic.

"This is my final semester of my Carpentry course. I've learned heaps here from both my teachers and work experience. I've learned about different materials - like gibboard and weatherboard, materials I'd never used before.

New Zealand is better than everything! I've had a great time living and studying in Tauranga, and have enjoyed making friends both within my class, and with other international students and residents in the wider community. It's a really friendly city.

What I've really appreciated is the amount of help available. When you come from India to New Zealand, everything is different: not just the food and the climate, but also the study, and what the tutors expect from you. Everyone in my course has been very supportive, spending extra time with me when I needed it, and really interested in helping me to succeed. I like the smaller classes too. There's good support for International students with things like official visa documentation, and also English language assistance, if you need it.

I'm very happy with the study choices I made." Following on from his course, Balwinder plans to first return to India, then he will pursue his dream of his own business as a self-employed carpenter.