Pitting skills against best apprentices

On to the next round: Currie Construction apprentice carpenter Jordan Isaac has made it through to the next hurdle of the Registered Master Builders 2018 Apprentice of the Year competition after a good performance in the regional stage during the weekend. Picture by Paul Rickard

Carpenter Jordan Isaac represented Gisborne at the regional stage of the Registered Master Builders 2018 Apprentice of the Year competition at the weekend.

The event was held at the Napier branch of Carters and contestants pitted their skills against each other in a two-hour practical challenge.

It required completion of an extensive pre-qualification process, involving a written submission and supporting references.

The Currie Construction apprentice is training through EIT. He successfully completed the challenge and has progressed to the next round, which involves an interview with the judging panel and a site visit to a project of the contestant’s choosing.

The winning apprentice from each region will receive $2000 to spend at Carters, a place in an Outward Bound course, and a range of products and tools.

All entrants receive an apprenticeship membership to the Registered Master Builders Association.

Regional winners go on to compete for the national title at the Apprentice of the Year national competition in Auckland in November.

Registered Master Builders chief executive David Kelly says with New Zealand facing its biggest-ever building boom, this competition comes at the perfect time to highlight the urgent need for more apprentices.

“Apprenticeships offer the chance to earn as you learn and be part of an industry with strong job prospects and opportunities for growth. With the construction skills shortage facing the industry, the value of an apprenticeship has never been higher,” he says.

Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation (BCITO) chief executive Warwick Quinn says they are proud to support a competition that fosters young talent.

“We know the construction industry needs at least 25,000 qualified people in the next five years to meet demand.

“However, new research conducted by BCITO has found that only 2.4 percent of school leavers start a BCITO apprenticeship within their first year after leaving school.”