Apprentice a cut above the others
Peter Fox, from Paraparaumu, has claimed victory against four other skilled apprentices, winning the title of Wellington’s top building apprentice at the New Zealand Certified Builders (NZCB) Apprentice Challenge.
The competition was fierce as this year’s challenge received a large number of entries nationwide, including a record number of entries nationwide from female apprentices.
Apprentices were given eight hours to create a park seat from detailed construction plans.
The park seats were assessed by a panel of expert judges on workmanship, measuring, cutting and assembly, with Fox’s park seat receiving the highest overall score.
The park seats crafted by apprentices will be donated to their respective regional Cancer Society divisions, including the accommodation services offered by the society.
Peter, 32, is in the third year of his building apprenticeship at NZ Proud.
As the regional winner, he takes home a range of trade tools courtesy of sponsor ITM, and will move forward to represent Wellington at the NZCB Apprentice Challenge Final, to be held at the NZCB annual conference in Christchurch on June 14-15.
He will face 19 other regional winners from around the country to compete for the Ken Read Memorial Trophy and $50,000 in prizes.
NZCB chief executive Grant Florence was impressed with the skill, talent, and passion the carpentry apprentices demonstrated — a testament to their dedication, employer support, and the comprehensive training provided by the Industry Training Association Building scheme.
“The future of New Zealand’s building industry is dependent on a robust pipeline of topquality apprentices.
“Fostering and encouraging young talent is a responsibility NZCB takes seriously.
“We encourage our member builders to take on apprentices, as it creates a pathway into the industry and ensures the sector can meet the increasing demand for trade-qualified, highly-skilled and well-rounded building professionals.”