MEDIA RELEASE

28 May 2013

Nelson Apprentice Builder Wins National Title

Hamish Griffith from NMIT Nelson has been named the best building apprentice in New Zealand, following the final of the annual Industry Training Association Building (ITAB) Apprentice Challenge 2013.

Seven regional winners competed for the national title at the Certified Builders Association of New Zealand conference in Blenheim on 17 and 18 May 3013. Chris Hewton from SIT Invercargill was runner-up and Jesse Dhue from CPIT Christchurch was third.

Regional competitions were held throughout the country in March and April, with each apprentice completing an eight hour practical challenge – they had to construct a weathertight wall and window frame and were judged on framing, weather proofing, window joinery and cladding.

Hamish, who works for Chris Barnett Builders Limited in Nelson, received prizes up to the value of $7,500. The ITAB Apprentice Challenge 2013 is in association with the Apprenticeship Scholarship Trust, Certified Builders and ITAB.

Judges were impressed with the confidence Hamish showed in his address to the judges, the way he conducted himself in the seminar, and his responses to questions that he was asked in the interview component of the competition.

“All in all, Hamish is a great young lad; he’s well mannered, with a good grounding and a big future in the industry,” said judge Roger Duncan.

Certified Builders Chief Executive Grant Florence said the standard of workmanship in the ITAB Apprentice Challenge is always extremely high and this year was no different.

“The quality of apprentices doing their training through ITAB is always of a high calibre – and I believe that has a lot to do with the unique education component that the ITAB apprenticeship scheme offers,” Mr Florence said.

For the past eight years, Certified Builders has operated a partnership with 11 Institutes of Technology and polytechnics under the framework of ITAB. The ITAB programme, which includes class room learning, results in a Level 4 qualification and 8,000 practical hours.

ITAB combines the best of the professional skills taught by the polytechnics with the practical, on the job training given by employer builders.

ITAB Apprentice Challenge 2013 winner Hamish Griffith, with his parents Paul and Tessa Griffith

ENDS

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