Taking the Plunge!

Paulo Oliveira
Second Place At The Registered Master Builders Carters 2022 Apprentice Of The Year
Northern Regional Winner

Paulo Oliveira is employed by TP Builders and his training provider was BCITO, a business division of Te Pūkenga.

Successes:

For Paulo, placing second was just as much of an achievement as placing first would have been.

“I was so happy when it was announced that I had placed second, I couldn’t believe it. It was a result of my hard work and dedication over the last few years since starting my apprenticeship.

“It was also a great opportunity to meet and network with the competition organisers and other competitors. Getting to know some other like-minded builders and apprentices was really rewarding”, says Paulo.

Employers Comments:

Paulo’s employer, Tony Pexton, was proud of his outstanding performance in the competition.

“Paulo started working for us two and a half years ago and from very early on he took an interest in entering Apprentice of the Year. He moved to New Zealand from Brazil about five years ago with no understanding of English, so to do this well nationally is incredible and is a testament to the person he is. We are all incredibly proud of Paulo and absolutely love having him as a part of our team.

“My wife Karen and I started TP Builders about thirty five years ago, we both think taking on apprentices is very important, we see it as a way to “pay it forward”.

Challenges

Paulo arrived in New Zealand five years ago, since then he’s not only completed his apprenticeship but also learnt English.

“Learning a new language while learning how to build correctly to the New Zealand standards was a challenge, but I never let it become a barrier. I believed in myself, as I knew I could do well in this competition if I set my mind to it.”

Judges comments:

Having arrived in New Zealand only five years ago with no English, Paulo communicated effectively throughout the competition, and has done exceptionally well to get where he is today.

Paulo’s place in this year’s competition is a testament to his hard work and dedication. He puts a lot of effort into advanced prep, not only for this competition but his work – he even has a basket of technical and product information in his car.

Paulo has a real drive, which we think stems from his strong connection to his family in Brazil, explaining that he wants to work hard to support his family. We found this truly admirable.