Southern carpentry apprentice of the year named

A WANAKA carpentry apprentice’s passion for building has won him the southern region’s top carpentry apprentice award for 2018.

The results of the Southern Registered Master Builders (in association with Carters) Apprentice of the Year awards were announced in Dunedin last night.

Top spot went to Angus Gray, of Lake Hawea, who did his training through the Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation and is employed by Bagley Construction Ltd of Wanaka.

Mr Gray impressed the judges with the skills he had learned from his apprenticeship, prompting them to observe the 22yearold had a passion to be successful in life which had ‘‘transferred to his passion for building’’.

The judges described him as having ‘‘a very indepth knowledge of building systems, compliance and construction techniques’’.

And they said his work had been produced to a very high standard and displayed various building techniques.

‘‘He has a clear vision on where he wants to go in the industry and knows the processes to achieve this.’’

As regional winner, Mr Gray receives a range of products and tools, a place at an Outward Bound course and $2000 to spend at Carters. And he will compete at the national competition in Auckland in November.

Second place in the southern regional competition went to 25yearold Jacob Esveld, of Gore, from Southernwide Building.

Queenstown’s Rob Allan (23), who works for Jason Gorton Building, was third.

❛ He has a clear vision on where he wants to go in the

industry and knows the processes to achieve this