A special project nearing completion at NorthTec's Future Trades will be a living advertisement for the top quality work students produce at the Trades training complex.

Students Henare Cooper, Daniel Milne, Sam Halvorson and Shannon Chisholm, who are studying for their Certificates in Marine Cabinet Making, have for the past six to eight weeks been working on their own project - building a three-tiered reception desk for the main office downstairs at Future Trades that will make quite a first impression on visitors to the complex.

At 2.4m in diameter and 3.5m long, the desk is made of laminated maple wood and will be completed with a Maltecca work surface.

Tutor, Rob Dainty, said the four students were given free licence to design the structure of the reception desk and they had undertaken a terrific job after starting out with a basic computer aided drawing or CAD.

"They have taken it from concept to the finished product which has been just brilliant for their development and a real confidence boost for them. What we want is for the reception desk to be a showpiece to display the standards we are setting at Future Trades," Rob emphasized.

For Daniel Milne, working on the project meant he has had to be totally committed which hasn't been easy. Daniel is from R?wene and each Sunday he travels down to Whangarei to attend the course between Monday and Wednesday.

For another of the students, Henare Cooper of Whangarei, working on the reception desk project was most satisfying. He had worked as a roofer for eight years before enrolling in the marine cabinet making course at NorthTec, as he wanted to develop a career from working with wood in this manner he said.

On Wednesday night, NorthTec hosted the Northland Chamber of Commerce at a Business After 5 function at the Future Trades training centre. Invited guests were able to tour the facility, find out more about what is on offer, and be updated on what is happening on the Trades scene.

The BA5's are held monthly to connect and build valuable business relationships in the region.