Caidan Brien of Mangawhai has been crowned the country’s top apprentice, taking home a Mitre 10 and Makita $10,000 prize package.
Rotorua’s Taylor Forrest came second, taking home a $7,000 prize sponsored by Mitre 10 Trade and Makita, and Canterbury’s Joe McFadyen came third and won a $5,000 prize sponsored by GIB.
Wellington’s Lucas Carroll was awarded the Chairman’s Personality Award and a Paslode $3,000 prize.
Finalists faced a demanding two-day series of construction challenges, scenario-based questions, and a live presentation to hundreds of industry professionals.
Winning BCITO apprentice Caidan Brien impressed judges with his technical ability, communication skills, and dedication.
“It’s a pretty sweet feeling winning the Apprentice Challenge. It’ll be a massive boost to my career. The final was intense and tested a whole pile of different things about being a builder. It really got me out of my comfort zone, and I learned more than I could ever imagine,” says Brien.
“I’ve had a lot of support leading up to this from my employer, Hamish Younger at Younger Builders, my family, and my friends back home. The NZCB staff were supportive throughout the final, and I’ve made some great friends among the other apprentices. The whole thing has been an awesome experience.”
NZCB chief executive Malcolm Fleming says the calibre of this year’s finalists reflected the resilience of an industry facing ongoing economic pressure.
“The construction sector has faced a tough few years, and economic pressures have been challenging across the industry.
“What we’ve seen through the Apprentice Challenge is that despite those challenges, apprentices have remained focused on their training and their trade, and employers have stayed committed to their apprentices. That resilience is exactly what the industry needs right now.”
Major sponsor BCITO chief executive Jason Hungerford says the Challenge highlighted the collective effort involved in developing the next generation of tradespeople.
“We’re proud to have seen 14 BCITO apprentices make it to the National Final. We’re celebrating the finalists, but also the people who have supported them in getting to this point,” says Hungerford.
“Behind every apprentice is an employer, a training advisor, and a wider support network that has invested in their success and encouraged them to excel,” says Hungerford.
Mitre 10 Trade hosted the regional heat competitions and supplied the first and second-place national prizes, valued at $17,000.
“The Apprentice Challenge allows us to connect with the next generation of builders at an important stage of their careers. These are the tradespeople we’ll be working alongside for decades, and those relationships matter to us,” says Mark Moffitt, head of trade at Mitre 10 Trade.
The Apprentice Challenge National Final was held within NZCB’s annual conference, which brought together over 300 industry professionals.