August 24, 2006
Top apprentices mean a top future
New Zealand’s engineers today saluted the success of their young colleagues.
Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union national secretary Andrew Little said that the winners in the ATNZ
Apprentice of the Year competition showed what could be achieved by young people determined to get on.
“These young people are our future,” he said.
“New Zealand engineers have a well-earned reputation as being among the best in the world, and these apprentices are
following in their footsteps.”
Mr Little said that the skills being developed by apprentices were those that were vital to New Zealand’s future.
“If we want to be at the forefront of technology, we’ve got to foster the skills of the people who know how to make it
work,” he said.
Mr Little paid particular tribute to Phil Smith, a maintenance and diagnostics apprentice who works at Access Automation
and won the EPMU award for the best Year One apprentice.
ENDS