Southern Regional Winners Announced
The top three Apprentices from the Southern region have been announced for the 2021 Registered Master Builders CARTERS Apprentice of the Year.
The Apprentice of the Year competition recognises excellence among carpentry apprentices and raises awareness of career opportunities in the building and construction industry. The competition tests our future sector leaders' project management, business, presentation, and practical skills.
For the regional competition, each apprentice had to initially submit a building project. They then took part in a two-hour practical challenge where they were tasked with building a shoe rack. The top 10 from each region then progressed to the interview stage with a judging panel and an onsite visit to discuss their project.
29-year-old Building apprentice Samuel Morris from Wanaka was named the Southern 2021 Registered Master Builders CARTERS Apprentice of the Year. Samuel is trained through BCITO and employed by McFarlane Building.
Sam has really applied himself and put in a lot of hard work. This was evident in his building project – which is his own house. He has a solid understanding of the build process and is very capable of completing high quality work without supervision. Sam is very confident, organised and not afraid to challenge himself.
Second place went to Cory O’Regan. He’s employed by Turnkey Homes and trained through Otago Polytechnic.
Cory is a very confident and capable young man. He showed his extensive experience onsite with a great understanding of reading plans and planning ahead to ensure his workload kept pace with the rest of the build. He also has a clear and calm conversation style which is needed on the sites he works on. Cory will have a great future and shows a lot of interest in the management side of the industry.
Third Place went to Alexander Roe, from Dunedin. He works for Stewart Construction and is trained through BCITO.
Alex has the ability to deeply understand building plans, which is complemented by his strong carpentry skills. He is very bright and keen to learn more of his trade. Alex has a fantastic future in the industry and comes across as ‘bright-eyed and bushy tailed’. He is a thinker and looks for opportunities and new ways to do things.
The top apprentice from each region will then go on to compete in the Master Builders National competition. This includes a 45-minute interview with the national judging panel and an additional six-hour practical skills test.
For more information about the competition, visit www.apprenticeoftheyear.co.nz