Construction apprentices aim to nail it

Seven building and carpentry apprentices from around Northland will contest this year’s New Zealand Certified Builders’ Apprentice Challenge in Whangarei this weekend.

Nationally the competition has attracted record number of entries nationwide.

Saturday’s Northland regional finalists will have eight hours to build a 1.5-metre-high children’s castle playhouse, featuring a turret and working drawbridge. They will be provided with durable, trade-quality timber and materials, and their structures will have to meet minimum safety standards.

The playhouses must be built with pre-schoolers in mind, as they will be donated to local early childhood education providers and other community groups after the competition.

The playhouses will be scored by a panel of judges, who will be assessing a range of building elements including quality of workmanship, accuracy of measuring and cutting, assembly, and the apprentice’s ability to work to a detailed plan. The apprentice with the best playhouse will be crowned Northland’s NZCB Apprentice Challenge winner.

The event, to be held at NorthTec, 19 Dyer Street, Raumanga, Whangarei, will be open to the public. Organisers say the best time to be there would be between 1pm-4.30pm, when the winner will be announced.

Fifteen regional finals will take place simultaneously around the country, in association with the Industry Training Association Building, with support from ITM and the Apprenticeship Scholarship Trust. The final will be held in Rotorua over May 25-26.