Student trio $500 better off

Taina Savage (left), Blair Panther and Trevor Griffiths.

Three NorthTec trades students are $500 better off after winning scholarships at a construction industry event in Whangarei.

Blair Panther, Aiden Ludlow and Adam Taylor each received $500 after being judged the top students of 2014 in their respective fields, at the New Zealand Institute of Building (NZIOB) Student Awards.

Blair was awarded the prize for architectural technology, Aiden was the top carpentry student and Adam won the prize for best electrical student.

NorthTec works with the NZIOB Northland branch, resulting in sponsorships for top students each year and educational site visits, seminars and other events.

Blair, who has just completed the first year of his two-year Diploma in Architectural Technology, was also awarded a position on the NZIOB local committee next year, giving him the opportunity to interact with industry figures.

Blair said he had wanted to become an architect since his teens, but instead went into the building trade. Last year, he signed up for the NorthTec programme so he could learn to draw up his own plans instead.

Blair said: "When I've finished my diploma I will be my own draughtsman. It will save me money and give me the freedom to design things myself."

Taina Savage, NorthTec programme leader for carpentry, construction, painting, architecture and civil engineering, congratulated the winning students, saying: "It's great to be able to celebrate our top students in this way, and to have the chance to network with the local industry."

Heather Tomason and Trevor Griffiths of Whangarei-based Griffiths & Associates set up the NZIOB branch more than 10 years ago, with just three local members. The branch is run out of the Griffiths office with one member of the Griffiths team present on the board, which also includes members, industry leaders and students.

Trevor set up the awards to give something back to the local industry and targeted NorthTec as a partner, with a 10-year Memorandum of Understanding.

The student awards event has just had its 12th anniversary and nearly $30,000 has been handed out to scholarship winners in that period. The NZIOB has its underlying core values based around knowledge and education and these awards uphold that tradition.

The NZIOB has more than 800 members nationally and has been running since 1983. The Northland branch now has 80 members and is responsible for running up to 10 events a year, contributing to the sponsorship money.

The sponsors are: Rosenfeld Kidson; Steve Bowling Contracting; NorthTec; Whangarei District Council; Ricoh Northland; Griffiths & Associates Ltd; Autex; Chilltech Northland; Coresteel; Hawthorn Geddes; ANZ.