PGD Apprentice
Everything you need to succeed as a PGD apprentice
PGD APPRENTICESHIPS

Interested in becoming an plumber, gasfitter, or drainlayer?

Start your career in the plumbing, gasfitting, and drainlaying (PGD) trades, gain hands-on experience on real worksites, and progress through a clear, nationally recognised training pathway with EarnLearn supporting your training, assessments, and wellbeing throughout your apprenticeship.

Why choose a PGD apprenticeship?

  • Earn while you learn: You’re employed and paid throughout your apprenticeship, with no student loan.
  • Industry-recognised qualification: Work towards a New Zealand Certificate (Level 4) in Plumbing, Gasfitting, or Drainlaying.
  • Clear progression: Build practical trade skills on the job and progress through structured training and assessment requirements toward registration and a practising licence.
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How it works →

Apprenticeship snapshot

Typical timeframe
2 – 5 years

Qualification levels
Level 4

YOU’LL LEARN:
Practical skills specific to your chosen trade, including installation, maintenance, testing, fault-finding, and working safely and compliantly with plumbing systems, gas installations, or drainage infrastructure across a range of environments.

PROGRESS AND REGISTRATION:
As you complete training and assessments, you progress toward registration with the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board (PGDB) and a practising licence in your trade.

EarnLearn support throughout your apprenticeships

Apprentice stories

Earn while you learn

Earning while you learn lets you build skills on the job while continuing to earn an income. Apprentices gain practical experience, complete structured training, and work toward a recognised qualification with ongoing support. The result is financial stability, real skills, and strong future career options.

Read Caleb's story →
Over 6,000 apprentices supported Thousands of partnered employers NZ-wide support Over 6,000 apprentices supported Thousands of partnered employers NZ-wide support
apprentice journey

What the PGD apprenticeship journey looks like

PGD apprenticeships are structured around trade-specific skills and real on-site experience. As you work, you build practical capability in your chosen trade while completing the training and evidence required for qualification and registration.

Plumbing focus
Build depth across complex plumbing systems and prepare for final assessment and registration

Capability
Confident installing, commissioning, and maintaining complex plumbing systems under supervision

Install and commission water supply systems
Carry out installation, testing, and commissioning of mains and low-pressure water systems in residential and commercial settings.

Install and maintain sanitary fixtures and plumbing systems
Fit, commission, and maintain toilets, basins, appliances, and associated pipework to industry and regulatory standards.

Work with hot water and heating systems
Install, commission, and maintain hot water systems, including mains pressure, low pressure, solar, and solid fuel systems.

Ensure building integrity and weather tightness
Install roofing penetrations, flashings, and pipework while maintaining weather tightness and building performance.

Apply compliance, safety, and regulatory requirements on site
Work safely on shared worksites, apply NZ regulations, and demonstrate compliant plumbing practice across all jobs.

What matters most in plumbing:

  • Plumbing work directly affects water safety, public health, and building performance
  • Maintaining building integrity and weather-tightness around penetrations is critical
  • Backflow prevention, hot water systems, and water supply compliance are high-risk areas
  • Work must meet New Zealand regulatory and documentation standards at all times

Compliance, system performance, and maintaining building integrity are central to professional plumbing practice.

Need help with any of this? Get in touch

Gasfitting focus
Build consistency, complete core off job training, keep evidence moving

Capability
Competent carrying out advanced gasfitting work, including installation, testing, and fault-finding

Install and commission gas appliances and equipment
Install, test, and commission gas appliances and associated systems in line with safety and compliance requirements.

Install and maintain gas pipework and pressure systems
Select, position, install, and maintain consumer gas pipework, pressure controls, and gas supply systems.

Apply gas safety, testing, and fault-finding skills
Test gas installations, identify faults, and carry out safe rectification using approved procedures.

Manage ventilation, flues, and combustion requirements
Ensure gas appliances are correctly ventilated, flued, and operating safely within enclosed environments.

Work safely in high-risk and regulated environments
Apply gas safety legislation, work in contaminated environments, and meet strict regulatory standards on site.

What matters most in gasfitting:

  • Gasfitting is a safety-critical trade with strict regulatory and testing requirements
  • Appliance installation, ventilation, flues, and pressure control must be exact
  • Fault-finding and rectification must be carried out using approved procedures
  • Errors can have serious safety consequences, making compliance non-negotiable

Safe, precise, and regulation-aligned work is fundamental to gasfitting practice.

Need help with any of this? Get in touch

Drainlaying focus
Build depth, complete remaining training, prepare for final assessment and registration

Capability
Capable of installing, maintaining, and troubleshooting drainage and wastewater systems on site

Install and maintain foul water and stormwater systems
Install, test, and maintain drainage systems for foul water and stormwater in accordance with NZ standards.

Construct chambers, traps, and inspection systems
Install inspection chambers, interceptor traps, and trade waste systems accurately and safely.

Install pumped and gravity drainage systems
Work with pumped drainage, gravity systems, and associated infrastructure across varied site conditions.

Carry out excavation and trenching safely
Excavate, trench, and prepare sites for drainage work while managing ground conditions and services.

Install and maintain on-site wastewater systems
Install, commission, and maintain on-site wastewater treatment and disposal systems where applicable.

What matters most in drainlaying:

  • Drainlaying involves complex underground systems and variable site conditions
  • Stormwater, foul water, pumped drainage, and wastewater systems must function reliably
  • Excavation, trenching, and ground management are core safety responsibilities
  • Poor drainage work can impact infrastructure, property, and the environment

Accuracy, safe excavation, and reliable system performance are critical to drainlaying work.

Need help with any of this? Get in touch

How it works

How Industry trained PGD apprenticeships works

Our apprenticeship programmes cover plumbing, gasfitting, and drainlaying. Training combines real workplace experience with structured learning, including block courses, online modules, and industry assessments. This approach ensures apprentices develop practical skills while building the knowledge required to complete their qualification.

Common Block Course

Your apprenticeship begins with a block course at your chosen campus. This provides an introduction to the programme, helps you meet other apprentices, and includes early learning and assessments to get you started.

Health and Safety Courses

Health and safety training takes place early in your apprenticeship. The core Safety module is completed online through My eLearning, while practical courses such as First Aid or Working at Heights are completed with approved training providers. Your Account Manager can help you choose the right options.

Workplace Modules

Most of your learning happens on the job. You’ll complete practical tasks at work and record evidence from real projects. Supporting theory modules are completed online through interactive lessons on My eLearning.

Block Course or Workplace Modules

Some modules can be completed either through a block course or in the workplace. You’ll choose the option that works best for you when you enrol, and these choices can be reviewed each year.

Exams

Before completing your qualification, you’ll sit an external exam. You’ll book the exam yourself, and EarnLearn covers the cost of your first attempt.

Training built around real work

How to start

How to start your PGD apprenticeship

Understand what’s involved and how to move from interest to employment, training, and licensing in plumbing, gasfitting, or drainlaying.

01

Check you are suited

PGD work is hands-on, practical, and safety-focused. You’ll need to be reliable, comfortable working in a team, and able to follow instructions and safety procedures on active worksites. An interest in problem solving, basic maths, and working with tools, systems, and physical infrastructure is important, along with a willingness to learn on the job.

02

Prepare your CV

Your CV should show you’re work-ready and committed to entering the plumbing, gasfitting, or drainlaying trades. Highlight any relevant experience such as construction or trade exposure, use of tools, health and safety knowledge, or practical subjects at school. If you’re new to the industry, focus on your attitude, reliability, and willingness to learn.

03

Get hired

To start a PGD apprenticeship, you must be employed in relevant plumbing, gasfitting, or drainlaying work. Some apprentices begin in entry-level or support roles before formally starting their apprenticeship. Once employed, your work will be supervised by a licensed tradesperson while you build practical experience on the job.

04

Sign your training agreement

Once employed, you, your employer, and EarnLearn agree on a training plan. This sets out what you’ll learn on the job, how off-job training and block courses are delivered, how assessments are completed, and how progress is tracked over time. Your EarnLearn Account Manager will guide you through this process and make sure everything is set up correctly.

05

Onboard and start progressing

After induction, you’ll begin building supervised trade experience in the workplace while completing on-job and off-job training. This includes workplace assessments, online learning through My eLearning, and scheduled block courses where required. EarnLearn supports you with regular check-ins, assessment planning, and practical guidance to help you stay on track through to completion and licensing.

Electrical apprenticeships nationwide Over 6,000 apprentices supported Thousands of partnered employers NZ-wide training support Electrical apprenticeships nationwide Over 6,000 apprentices supported Thousands of partnered employers NZ-wide training support
Frequently Asked Questions

PGD Apprenticeship FAQs

Understand how PGD training works, what’s involved, and how you progress from apprentice to licensed plumber, gasfitter, or drainlayer.

A PGD apprenticeship is a formal, industry-recognised training programme in Plumbing, Gasfitting and/or Drainlaying. It combines paid, on-the-job work with structured off-the-job learning, workplace assessments, block courses, and exams.

By completing the programme, you’ll:

  • Achieve a Level 4 New Zealand Certificate in your chosen trade(s)

  • Complete all required workplace and theory assessments

  • Sit the relevant external trade exam(s)

  • Be eligible to apply for a Tradesman Licence with the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board (PGDB)

The apprenticeship is designed to ensure you are competent to industry and regulatory standards before becoming licensed.

How the apprenticeship works →
Trainee FAQs →

Most of your training happens in the workplace, where you learn practical skills on real jobs under supervision. Alongside this, you’ll complete:

  • Online learning and assessments through My eLearning

  • Workplace evidence (photos, tasks, written work) that shows you can perform required skills competently

  • Block courses at a regional training campus, depending on your programme and pathway

  • Mandatory health and safety courses, such as First Aid, Confined Spaces, and Working at Heights

Your training is supported by an EarnLearn Account Manager, who checks in regularly, monitors progress, and helps coordinate training with your employer.

Yes. You must be employed in relevant plumbing, gasfitting or drainlaying work to complete a PGD apprenticeship. This is because many assessments require workplace evidence and supervised practical experience.

Your employer is responsible for:

  • Providing relevant work and training opportunities

  • Supporting you to complete workplace assessments

  • Ensuring a workplace verifier is available

  • Helping you attend required block courses

If you’re not yet employed, EarnLearn can help you understand what employers look for and talk through realistic next steps.

Timeframes vary depending on:

  • Which trade(s) you are completing (plumbing, gasfitting, drainlaying, or a combination)

  • Whether you’re completing optional strands (such as on-site wastewater)

  • How quickly you progress through assessments and gain workplace experience

Typical timeframes range from around 2 years for a single trade to up to 5 years for combined programmes. Progress is competency-based, meaning you move forward as you meet the required standards, not just based on time served.

While you’re an apprentice, you must hold a Limited Certificate Trainee Licence issued by the PGDB. This licence allows you to carry out restricted work under supervision.

Key points:

  • EarnLearn manages the licence application process and covers the cost

  • The licence must be renewed annually (maintaining a current licence is a shared responsibility between you and your employer).

  • For the first 12 months, you must work under direct supervision of a licensed tradesperson

  • Licence cards are digital and accessed via the PGDB app

Learning Support →
Wellbeing Support→
Find your Account Manager→

EarnLearn provides support well beyond assessments and paperwork. This includes:

  • Regular check-ins with your Account Manager

  • Learning, literacy, and numeracy support, including special assessment conditions if needed

  • PGD technical support and exam preparation sessions

  • Wellbeing and mental health support, including free and confidential counselling through Vitae

  • Guidance if life circumstances, health, or ACC impact your training

The goal is to help you stay on track and complete your apprenticeship successfully, even if challenges come up along the way.

Assessment process →
GET In touch

Start your career in plumbing, gasfitting & drainlaying

Starting a PGD apprenticeship is a big decision. Whether you’re exploring the pathway or already working in the industry, we’re here to help you understand how PGD apprenticeships work, what’s involved, and what your next step could be.

You’ll get help to:

Get clarity on on-job and off-job training, licensing requirements with the PGDB, and how progression works over time

Get clarity on on-job and off-job training, licensing requirements, and how progression works over time

Talk through your situation and map out practical, achievable next steps based on your goals

Send an enquiry

Share a few details and we will point you to the right next step.

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