Competition success

Fault-finding, theory, practical and emissions control were all put to the test at the 2023 Wallie Askew Memorial WorldSkills Competition in Auckland and Wellington last month.

Northern region

Held on Saturday July 1 at ACSL Group in Auckland, six apprentices put their skills to the test with equipment supplied by Refspecs. Judges Garrett Glynn (MIT), David Everett (Everett Consulting) and Regi Singh (Daikin) – with Trent McDonald responsible for moderation and marketing – named Alex Arnold from White Refrigeration as the top finisher, with Daniel Thompson of Shannon Refrigeration coming in second.

Adam Niziol (Shannon Refrigeration), Adam Holroyd (Comfort Air Conditioning), Jesse Quedley (Comfort Air Conditioning) and Mitchell Baucke (Eastside Refrigeration) made up the rest of the competitors.

“We had apprentices this year that were first year apprentices and they did really well. They also really challenge the other apprentices and probably make them work a little harder to get a spot in the finals,” says Trent.

Special thanks to our major sponsor Realcold, support from CCCANZ, ACSL Group and BDT for hosting the regional challenges and equipment supplied by Refspecs.

“One thing I’ve been really impressed with is the calibre that we’ve seen this year.”

- Trent McDonald, IRHACE Councilor