Luke has the wood on his competitors to win spoils

Luke has the wood on his competitors to win spoils and earn his place at the ITaB Nationals

Having next year’s NorthTec tuition covered, winning two power tools from ITM, and earning the right to represent Northland at a National carpentry competition, is some accomplishment especially, when you are only 20 years old and just starting out in your career.

“Not bad for a day’s work,” remarked a member of the crowd after Luke Gent, from Whangarei, scooped up the impressive prizes after winning the Apprentice Challenge held at NorthTec’s Future Trades over the weekend.

The event sponsored by NorthTec, the ITM Building Centre, Certified Builders, DeWalt, ITaB and CBANZ AST had Luke, and three other apprentices Patrick Tito, Craig Galley and Mark Burch take a day off work to challenge for the honour of becoming Northland’s representative to compete at the National ITaB Apprentice Challenge on 10 and 11 June at the Certified Builders Conference in Auckland.

They were put through the rigours of a tough challenge that would test even the most experienced of builders. This involved interpreting detailed plans and working on a compact project where they had to master practical challenges that included the construction of a set of stairs, laying a floor, hanging a door, and framing a wall – all within an eight hour period said NorthTec tutor, Mark Pearson.

He said for the guys to take a day off work to challenge themselves shows they are dedicated to the trade they are in, and that competition serves them well for expanding their development.

“It also indicates to the employers there are trades people prepared to go that little bit further to lift the quality of the construction industry.”

The pressure cooker test used for the challenge was designed by Mr Pearson and will also be used by other regions across the country to find their National finalists.

“It is a challenge which stretches them. It needs to reflect what happens on the worksite and some would have had experience with what it tests on block courses or on the job,” he commented.

In the finish, it was Luke who mastered the challenge the best, accumulating the most points throughout the day, with the contestants judged on every detail of their craftsmanship. He will now go on to compete at the National ITaB Apprentice Challenge at the Certified Builders Conference in Auckland on 10 and 11 June. ITaB is the national industry training association for certified builders.

Mr Pearson said Luke will be one of 10 contestants going for the top spot at Nationals that if he wins, comes with even more incredible prizes than he has just won.

A young man of few words, Luke has a self-belief he may be able to go one step further than last year’s Northland apprentice representative, Graeme Mager, who finished runner-up in the National Contest in Queenstown. Graeme did his ITaB apprenticeship with Vuletich Construction in Dargaville.

After completing a National Certificate in Carpentry at NorthTec, Luke has started an apprenticeship with Dave Clarkson Builders out at Teale Bay in Owakara. Making a living as a carpenter and being able to work with wood is something Luke has aspired to for some time his mother Tracey said.

She said ever since Luke was young, he was always keen to pick up a hammer and help out his Poppa, Don Burch, on the weekends in the workshop of Burch and Mason Boat Builders in Whangarei. Mr Burch was on hand to watch his grandson achieve his victory along with Luke’s brother Corey, an aircraft technician for the Royal New Zealand Airforce who made the trip up from Auckland to see him compete.

Mrs Gent said Luke was always tinkering around in the garage at home putting up shelves and playing with wood that she said is a healthy obsession for a young person to have commenting she thought it was amazing when kids know where they want to be.

“He likes wood, some people like cars he likes wood.”

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