Top joinery apprentice's stairway to success

Ashley Hollamby won the Master Joiners Apprentice Award. Photo / Ben Fraser

A local joinery apprentice has come out top in the annual Master Joiners Apprentice Awards.

Ashley Hollamby won best timber project in the zero to 4000 hours category for his winding set of stairs.

The 24-year-old can add this achievement to his winning of top apprentice in the Waikato/Bay of Plenty Joinery Apprentice Awards, which he picked up this year.

Seven joinery apprentices from around New Zealand took part in the Master Joiners Apprentice competition, and were judged according to the number of hours they had completed in their apprenticeships on entry.

Mr Hollamby, who has been an apprentice at Lee Brothers Cabinets and Joinery for three years, spent two weeks working on the stairs with minimal help from his mentors.

"We had to enter jobs we had done up to 80 per cent by ourselves."

Lee Brothers' owner Paul Ingram said that they were proud of Mr Hollamby.

"He has done an excellent job.

"He is very keen to learn so we can give him lots of opportunities."

The competition winners were announced at a dinner last Saturday in Wellington .

Mr Hollamby took home $1000 worth of tools, petrol vouchers, cash and ITM vouchers.