Top building apprentice in the Upper South Island region announced

Nelson carpentry apprentice Andrew Higgins has been named the Upper South Island Region Registered Master Builders Carters 2013 Apprentice of the Year.

The 23 year old, employed by Dusty Builders Ltd in Nelson and trained through NMIT, impressed judges who say Andrew interviewed well and has strong overall industry knowledge for someone so young in the trade.

“We were extremely impressed at how proud Andrew was to work for the company he represented – his passion and drive to be successful was very evident and his attention to detail was impeccable. We believe he will be a leading figure in the industry in years to come.”

Andrew was awarded a range of prizes, including his choice of either a study grant to the value of $2,000 or $2,000 to spend at Carters and an Outward Bound Leadership Programme valued at over $3,600, as well as the coveted title of Upper South Island Region Registered Master Builders Carters 2013 Apprentice of the Year.

Andrew will now go on to compete against the eight other regional Apprentice of the Year winners at the national finals in Auckland where each apprentice will undertake a 45-minute interview with the national judging panel.

They will then compete in a practical carpentry challenge where each apprentice will be tasked with completing a small building project, which will be gifted to local charities on completion. The practical challenge will take place at The Cloud in Auckland on Friday, 11 October and will be open to the public from 8am to 12pm.

The winner of the Registered Master Builders Carters 2013 Apprentice of the Year will then be announced at an awards dinner at The Cloud, hosted by MC Paul Ego.

Second place in the Upper South Island region was awarded to Hamish Griffith, 21, of Richmond, Nelson employed by Chris Barnett Builders Ltd and trained through NMIT, while third place went to Aaron Mitchell, 24, of Stoke, Nelson, employed by Bruce Design and Build and trained through the BCITO.

Registered Master Builders Chief Executive Warwick Quinn says it is great to see a consistently high standard of apprentices putting themselves forward to determine how they measure up against their peers.

“Apprentice of the Year is a wonderful endeavour for recognising excellence in carpentry apprentices, and every year the talent that comes through is remarkable. Employers should also be recognised for supporting and encouraging the next generation of our building and construction industry.”

Paul Bull, Chief Executive of Carters, says the Apprentice of the Year competition supports Carters’ objective of encouraging and striving for high standards within the building and construction industry.

“The building industry is experiencing some good growth at the moment, and it is important that apprentices continue to demonstrate best practice to ensure the success of the sector,” says Mr Bull.

“At Carters we think it’s important to support initiatives that provide our customers with opportunities to up-skill and stay informed. Apprentice of the Year is one of those initiatives.”

The Upper South Island Region Apprentice of the Year results were announced at an awards evening at the Trafalgar Park Pavilion in Nelson on Thursday, 5 September.

Apprentices, employers and those young people aspiring to be a part of the construction industry are encouraged to join the Facebook page: www.facebook.com/apprenticeoftheyear.

The Apprentice of the Year competition is made possible thanks to principal sponsor Carters, the Registered Master Builders Federation, the Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation (BCITO), and supporting sponsor the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE).

ENDS

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