UCOL Joinery trainee is Apprentice of the Year

UCOL Joinery trainee is Apprentice of the Year

Feilding building firm H.R. Jones are the proud employers of New Zealand’s Joinery Apprentice of the Year.

20 year old Jonny Brown is training at H.R. Jones and on block courses at UCOL as he completes his joinery apprenticeship.

He has been awarded the Ernie Jelink Challenge Cup as Apprentice of the Year by the Joinery Industry Training Organisation (JITO). The award is made each year to one joinery apprentice based on recommendations from polytechnics and industry training organisations throughout New Zealand.

Two of Jonathan’s lecturers at UCOL, Craig Fleet and Bruce Birrell, says Jonathan is a natural at the trade and has shown aptitude and real skill since the beginning of his apprenticeship. “We didn’t hesitate to nominate him for the award and gave him the highest marks in each of the required categories. That included knowledge, performance, technique and attitude.”

Jonny is delighted to be recognized so early in his chosen career and was looking forward to receiving his award.

Owner of HR Jones Mark Pickford says his company has had a long association with UCOL, with all of their joinery apprentices attending block courses at UCOL. “We have great confidence in the standard of assessment and that all the units are achieved and signed off,” he says.

Jonny is the first HR Jones apprentice to win the Ernie Jelink Challenge Cup but not the first employee to win a JITO title. “Our apprentices have always done well in the industry awards,” says Mark.

Craig and Bruce accompanied Jonathan to the award ceremony at the Master Joiners annual conference in Rotorua at the weekend.

© Scoop Media