The role
Bring your experience and skills
Our instructors come from a range of trade industries, including carpentry and construction, painting, agriculture, catering, engineering and more.
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.
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
Salary
Salary range of $72,514 to $90,322 before progressing into senior roles
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
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
Hours of work
Rostered rotating shifts including nights, weekends & public holidays
Time off
Four weeks holiday annually
Environment
Based at one of our 18 prison sites
Recent stories
Gardens help feed the community
A community garden in Tauranga is thriving thanks to the hard work of the local community.
Making a difference with dance
Lauren Byrne keeps people in prison ‘on their toes’ as part of a transformative partnership with the Royal New Zealand Ballet.
Thinking about working for Corrections?
We asked our staff to share real stories, insights and advice on what it’s like working at the Department of Corrections.
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.
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…