Wellington Wairarapa region’s top carpentry apprentice announced!
Carpentry apprentice Andrew Press has been named the Wellington Wairarapa Registered Master Builders Carters 2016 Apprentice of the Year.
The 24-year-old from Upper Hutt trained through the Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation (BCITO) and is employed by Hutt City Builder.
Judges said Andrew is a worthy recipient of the Wellington Wairarapa Apprentice of the Year and praised him for his wide range of building knowledge and great eye for detail.
“Andrew impressed us with his quality project management, his leadership skills in running a building site, and his high standard of workmanship.
“He has great over-all knowledge of the building process, including Health and Safety and building products.
“Andrew’s submission was very detailed and his site visit demonstrated excellent problem solving skills.
“Andrew is the type of builder you want in your team. He is dependable and goes the extra mile. He is a role model for others and has a great rapport with all of his colleagues. Andrew will go a long way with his building career.”
Andrew was awarded a range of fantastic products and tools, $2,000 to spend at Carters, and a spot at an Outward Bound Course.
Second place in the regional competition was awarded to 25-year-old Michael Murphy from Wellington who is employed by Wilson Building Wellington Limited.
Third place was awarded to 23-year-old Harvey Mason from Khandallah and employed by Peter Strawbridge Builders.
The results were announced at an awards evening on 2 September at The Amora Hotel in Wellington.
Registered Master Builders Chief Executive David Kelly says the competition not only celebrates the quality of New Zealand’s carpentry apprentices, but also helps to promote the opportunities that an apprenticeship in the trades has to offer.
“The construction industry is going through an unprecedented period of growth. We need more people to join the trades across all levels. The Apprentice of the Year competition is a fantastic way to showcase our future industry leaders.
“We applaud the commitment and determination from all the apprentices, and we look forward to seeing even more from the finalists at the National competition in November.”
Supporting the competition for the 12th year running is principal sponsor Carters. National Sales Manager Rob Watson says the competition holds an important place in upholding the reputation of New Zealand’s building industry.
“Apprentice of the Year is a fundamental element of Carters’ investment in partnering with and ensuring that New Zealand’s apprentices are highly skilled, mentored and educated.
“The competition is a fantastic opportunity for apprentices to get their name out there and gain recognition within the industry,” he says.
Andrew will now compete against the winners from the other nine regions at the National competition in Auckland.
Each finalist will undergo 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 building a play house to be donated to local schools. The practical challenge will take place at The Cloud on 4 November and will be open to the public.
The winner of the Registered Master Builders Carters 2016 Apprentice of the Year will be announced at an awards dinner on 4 November.
Apprentices, employers and young people aspiring to be a part of the construction industry are encouraged to join the Facebook page at
facebook.com/registeredmasterbuilders
For more information, visit
apprenticeoftheyear.co.nz
The Registered Master Builders Apprentice of the Year competition is made possible thanks to principal sponsor Carters, the Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation (BCITO), and supporting sponsors the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and APL through their Altherm, First and Vantage brands.