A word from our 2022 winner

The 2022 NZCB Apprentice Challenge Sponsored by ITM, will be ingrained in my memory forever.

Although I was extremely nervous the need to remain confident and level-headed stayed with me the entire weekend. Not only that, but the study and practice that I had put in to this point all culminated in me being crowned the NZCB Apprentice Challenge Sponsored by ITM Winner for 2022.

My road to national’s this year was driven by missing out on making the finals in 2021… by one placing. This year I returned with the drive and willingness to win the Whangārei Regional Competition and head down to the final being, held in conjunction with the NZCB Conference and Expo at the Claudelands Events Centre, in Hamilton, to compete against some of the country’s best apprentices.

Disrupted by COVID, the final was postponed until November, which didn’t help the nerves. Upon arriving in Hamilton, I was greeted by my fellow competitors as we sat and waited for the impending trade exam. This was what I was most nervous about, as I didn’t quite know what to expect. Up until this moment I had submitted a CV, work portfolio and prepared and practised my presentation.

With the exam out of the way, I could breathe a little. Not for long, however, as NZCB Industry Pathways and Apprenticeship Manager Nick Matthews explained the Mitre 10 Great Apprentice Race that would be taking place, bright and early the next morning. It consisted of working in pairs and constructing a rickshaw to race against nine other teams. I was paired with Joshua Shoebridge from Tauranga Districts.

When we arrived at Claudelands Events Centre the next morning, we got a grasp of how the event was going to pan out. Mitre 10 Trade had sponsored all the materials and tools to assist us in crafting a custom rickshaw. Four hours went by in a flash and ten carts were lined up ready to go. The race wasn’t until 5pm, so this gave me a chance to walk around the NZCB Expo, in awe at the multitude of stands. 5pm rolled around and, after ten minutes of chaos and only one casualty, the race was over.

Saturday brought on a very nervous day as I had my interview with the judges, followed by my speech. I was the last interview and I told myself ‘Now is your chance to smash it out of the park!’ I found the interview very comfortable and felt I could be myself. This allowed me to speak from the heart and share why I am on this journey. My speech went quickly but I told myself to remain calm, confident and speak clearly. I felt very proud of myself and, with that, it was left in the hands of the judges.

On Saturday night, we arrived at the ITM Awards Dinner after a thrilling bus trip from the hotel. The event was beautifully decorated, and tensions were high. After dinner and entertainment, we found ourselves front and centre of the event. Third place was called, then second. At this stage it felt like a moment ‘too good to be true’, so I had assumed that it would never happen to me. When first place was announced, I stood mouth wide open in amazement as all the hard work had paid off. Fighting back tears, I delivered my thank you speech and left the stage in a blur.

I’d like to take the time to thank NZCB for giving me the opportunity to showcase my skills and intentions for the future, and to the sponsors for making this a truly unforgettable weekend. I am thankful to have met some amazing people and made lifelong friends.

To all the other apprentices, you did a fantastic job and the future of the industry is in great hands.

Kia ora koutou katoa