Champion building skills

Lachlan McLeod on his way to being crowned Northland Regional Champion at the Certified Builders Carpentry Apprentice Challenge on Saturday.

Lachlan McLeod was named Northland Regional Champion in this year's Certified Builders Carpentry Apprentice Challenge on Saturday.

Four apprentices, including Damian Thompson, Russell Scampton and Paul Maihi took part in the challenge, at NorthTec Future Trades Campus in Dyer St, building children's playhouses to be donated to early childcare providers.

Mark Dobbs, board representative on Certified Builders Northland, said the challenge is a way for apprentices, from in their second year through to final or fourth year apprenticeships, to showcase their skills and commitment to their trade.

"We have had a really good calibre of young apprentices enter the challenge over the last three or four years," Mr Dobbs said, adding it is also a good way to help build the confidence of apprentices.

Although he thinks it is a good thing to put on apprentices' CVs, he doesn't think that alone will be the golden ticket to getting a job. However, he says it does demonstrate a proactive approach on the part of those taking part in the challenge.

Contestants are provided with a set of plans before the event so they can prepare, including planning a time frame for the day.

Mr Dobbs says apprentices are judged on their project planning, cuts, use of power tools, including health and safety aspects, and the finished job.

He says there is a great support in the industry for the challenge, with all participants receiving sponsors packages.

Mr Dobbs has had four apprentices since he set up his business and has encouraged all of them to compete in the challenge.

"It's a good thing for them to do and it gets them out of their comfort zone."

This is the first time finished items in the challenge have been given away to the community, with apprentices being tasked in previous challenges to build and demonstrate skills on items, such as a door and door frame, which have been discarded.

The playhouses were designed for preschool children, built low to the ground, wide and stable, and measuring about 1.8 metres in height, of durable, long-lasting trade-quality construction timber and materials, no sharp edges and nails punched below the surface.

The playhouses will be donated in their natural timber state so recipients can use them as is or paint them to add their own personal touch. The list of childcare provider recipients is still to be announced.

Mr McLeod, 19, is 16 months into his apprenticeship with MD Construction and is set to compete against 11 other regional winners at the Certified Builders Carpentry Apprentice Challenge Final, at the Certified Builders annual conference in Wellington on May 26-28.

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