Whangārei’s Elijah McQueen wins Certified Builders Apprentice Challenge

Northland building apprentice Elijah McQueen, centre, after winning the regional final of the New Zealand Certified Builders Apprentice Challenge.

Whangārei apprentice Elijah McQueen was king of the castle when the fort he built helped him take out the regional final of the New Zealand Certified Builders Apprentice Challenge.

McQueen, who works at RHJ Builders, put his skills to the test against other top apprentices from the region at the weekend and has now won a place in the national final of the event.

McQueen, who has just started his second year as an apprentice, told the Northern Advocate it was great to pit his skills against other apprentices from the region, and he made sure he got plenty of advice and help leading into the competition.

‘’Last year’s winner is from Northland so I had a chat to him about what to expect. And the boss (Richard Hilton-Jones) was great giving me some help and advice. He said to treat it like another day at work, stick to the process and make sure everything is right, and that’s what I did. I’m also doing a lot of study at the same time and only being in my second year I didn’t really expect to do that well. But all the input from others helped a lot.’’

McQueen said he has developed a real love for building and was keen to show what he could do at the national final of the competition in May.

‘’I’ll be brushing up a bit on the technical side of things and making sure I’ve got everything covered.’’

The apprentices were put through their paces during the challenge last week, given just eight hours to build a fort that followed specific design plans and met minimum safety standards.

The forts were assessed by a panel of expert judges who looked at technical aspects such as the quality of workmanship, measuring, cutting and assembly, as well as other essential skills while working against the clock, including their ability to follow a detailed plan and safe working technique, with McQueen receiving the top score overall.

McQueen, aged 23, is undertaking a building apprenticeship with builder Hilton-Jones (RHJ Builders) and, as well as being declared regional champion, he also won a $500 ITM gift voucher to redeem on trade tools and earned a place in the national final representing the region in May.

There he will compete against 19 other regional winners from across New Zealand for the Ken Read Memorial Trophy and $25,000 worth of prizes. The national final will be held at the NZCB National Conference and Expo in Christchurch in May.

Hilton-Jones said McQueen was a good young builder who had a big future ahead of him.

NZCB industry pathways and apprenticeship manager, Nick Matthews, said the competition on Saturday demonstrated the outstanding quality and diversity of apprentices currently training in the industry.

“Nationwide we’re seeing increasing diversity among apprentices entering the building trade, with a record number of female apprentices competing this year,’’ Matthews said.

“The regional competitions have set the bar high ahead of the national final, and these events are a great opportunity for communities around New Zealand to get an insight into building apprenticeship training and to celebrate those apprentices that are excelling in their field.’’

The forts built last Saturday will be auctioned off via TradeMe, with all proceeds going to KidsCan and Cyclone Gabrielle relief. Given the recent devastation from Cyclone Gabrielle, several forts will be donated to play centres in affected areas.