Kartika's carpentry wins one for the girls

Kartika wins one for the girls with national carpentry title

Unitec carpentry apprentice Kartika Mutzelburg has created history in winning the first ever ‘Third Year Apprentice Challenge’ organised by Certified Builders Association of New Zealand (CBANZ) and Industry Training Association Building (ITaB).

As the first – and only – female apprentice to make the national final in Queenstown last weekend, Kartika now has bragging rights over some of her male peers.

“I couldn’t believe it when they announced me as the winner,” says Kartika. “I wasn’t sure what to expect so to win something like this was amazing.”

The Apprentice Challenge is open to all CBANZ and ITaB apprentices. Kartika beat a dozen apprentices to win the Auckland regional finals and was up against seven other regional winners during the national final.

Throughout the challenge, apprentices had to demonstrate a high standard of carpentry skills. They were given a building project to complete and were marked on their ability to read the plans, take correct measurements, accuracy and neatness of their cuts.

They also had to put together a portfolio of their work history with supporting documents from their employers.

“There was quite a bit of interest in me down at the finals being the only female to make it but I didn’t want it to be about me but rather what I could do in the competition and the skills I demonstrated,” she says.

Kartika is employed by the Unitec Carpentry Apprentice Training Trust who work closely with the industry in finding work placements for the 40-plus Unitec apprentices under the scheme.

Trust Manager, Joe Hede, says Kartika’s achievement is huge for Unitec but is not surprised at what she’s achieved.

“It’s quite rare to have a female come through our carpentry programmes but to have someone like Kartika stamp herself as one of the country’s top apprentices is a fantastic achievement.

“She has such a great attitude towards what she wants to do. She’s not here to prove a point, she’s here because she genuinely wants to be a builder.”

Kartika is currently half way through her apprenticeship and has roughly 18 months to go before she becomes a qualified carpenter.

She says she has always had an interest in being a builder but didn’t pursue until recently.

“I wanted to do it a long time ago but I was told it wasn’t a suitable job choice so I did other things but it was always there at the back of my mind.

“I was told that I wouldn’t be able to handle the physical side of the job, and that I would get hassled on site by the guys - neither of which have proven to be the case at all.”

She enrolled with Unitec almost three years ago after “hearing nothing but good things” about the institute’s carpentry programmes.

Kartika hopes to run her own business in the long term but knows she needs to gain a good reputation first within the industry.

“I’m not naïve to think that this is going to happen for me straight away, I know I have to prove myself in the industry but it’s nice to have something like this award to help you along the way.”

The Unitec Apprenticeship Training Trust is an independent not-for-profit organisation committed to helping boost apprenticeship numbers and providing the building industry with highly trained staff.

ENDS

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