Apprentice Gareth Deihl has claimed the title of the Hawke’s Bay New Zealand Certified Builders (NZCB) Apprentice Challenge champion for 2022, after competing against two other apprentices on 9 April and coming out on top.

The apprentices were put through their paces, given just eight hours to build a park bench that followed specific design plans and met minimum safety standards.

The park benches were assessed by a panel of expert judges who looked at technical aspects such as the quality of workmanship, measuring, cutting and assembly, as well as other essential skills while working against the clock, including their ability to follow a detailed plan and safe working technique, with Gareth receiving the top score overall.

Gareth, aged 19, is currently undertaking their building apprenticeship at Christie Builders and Joiners. As well as winning the title of regional champion, Gareth also won a $500 ITM voucher to redeem on trade tools and earned a place in the national final representing Hawke’s Bay.

There he will compete against 19 other regional winners from across New Zealand for the Ken Read Memorial Trophy and $25,000 worth of prizes. The national final will be held at the NZCB Annual Conference in Hamilton in November.

NZCB Industry Pathways and Apprenticeship Manager, Nick Matthews, said the competition on Saturday highlighted the high-calibre of passionate apprentices currently training in the industry, following a record uptake of building apprenticeships in recent years.

“Nationwide we’re seeing increasing numbers of eager and talented apprentices entering the trade from a variety of backgrounds. The regional competitions have really set the bar for what excellence looks like ahead of the national final, with all competitors either employed by NZCB member builders or enrolled with ITAB (Industry Training Association Building).

“The future of the building industry depends on a robust pipeline of trade-qualified and well-rounded builders, and the NZCB Apprentice Challenge is one way we help to foster that. We also encourage NZCB member builders to take on apprentices to help to ensure there are highly-skilled builders coming through to meet increasing demand,” says Nick.

“These events are a great opportunity to give the community an inside look at building apprenticeship training and what it takes to be successful in the trade, and to celebrate those apprentices that have excelled in their field,” says Nick.

The park benches built on Saturday will be auctioned off via TradeMe from Monday 18 April, with all proceeds going to the Cancer Society of New Zealand. Auction winners will also receive a $75 Resene gift voucher to redeem on stain or paint of their choosing, courtesy of Resene. Links to the auctions will be posted on NZCB’s website (www.nzcb.nz) from next week.

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