Second year apprentice Gareth Deihl, 19, took out top spot at the Hawke's Bay New Zealand Certified Builders Apprentice Challenge 2022 and will represent the region nationally. Photo / Warren Buckland
Second year apprentice Gareth Deihl, 19, took out top spot at the Hawke's Bay New Zealand Certified Builders Apprentice Challenge 2022 and will represent the region nationally. Photo / Warren Buckland
A young building apprentice has trumped more experienced competitors to scoop the Hawke's Bay New Zealand Certified Builders Apprentice Challenge 2022.
Second-year apprentice Gareth Deihl, 19, was the last of the three competitors to put tools down, but his thoroughness paid off.
The challenge on April 9 was to makea park bench that followed specific design plans and met minimum safety standards in eight hours or less.
The products were assessed by a panel of expert judges who looked at criteria including the quality of workmanship, measuring, cutting and assembly.
Gareth won a $500 ITM voucher to redeem on trade tools and earned a place in the national final representing Hawke's Bay.
He will compete against 19 other regional winners for the Ken Read Memorial Trophy and $25,000 worth of prizes in Hamilton in November.
He said he first found out about the competition through BCITO, the company that manages his apprenticeship with Christie Builders and Joiners.
Gareth was the only competitor that was not in the final year of the four year builders apprenticeship and he was the last to put tools down before time was up. Photo / Warren Buckland
"I was purely going there just for the experience and just to see what the other guys in Hawke's Bay were capable of, and came out on the other side as the regional winner.
"It was a bit of a shock to the system when they said I had won."
He said he had been swinging a hammer around from a young age.
"When I got into high school I started doing woodwork and that kind of stuff. It brought out my love of making things out of timber."
He has been an apprentice for about two years and has worked for Christie Builders and Joiners for about two and a half years.
Company owner Mike Christie said the company has had a couple of apprentices do well in the competition before and he had his eye on Gareth to do it since he started working with them.
"He has only really just completed his second year. He was up against two guys who were in their last year, their fourth year, so he did bloody well to take it out.
"He's got a good trainer teaching him the right way and he has the enthusiasm and the drive to do well as well."
He said the national competition will be a lot more involved, with stiff competition.
"It'll be a good experience for him anyway. He'll have another couple of years left to give it another shot if he doesn't win."
The builders and their families got the first pick on whether to buy the park benches built at the competition for themselves, so Gareth's parents are keeping his bench.
The others will be auctioned off via TradeMe from Monday April 18, with all proceeds going to the Cancer Society of New Zealand.
Auction winners will also receive a $75 Resene gift voucher to redeem on the stain or paint of their choosing, courtesy of Resene.
