Southern Apprentice Challenge a great success

Author: SIT
Date posted: 09/04/09

Twenty nine apprentices competed across five trades, automotive, construction, electrical, fitting and machining, and fabrication welding on a clear and somewhat windy day at the Southern Institute of Technology.

The competition required apprentices to complete a project(s) to tradesman standards, using safe work practices while competing against the clock and their peers.

"These competitions engender apprentices with self-confidence in their ability, provide tangible evidence of their practical abilities and allow Southland employers and training providers to benchmark their experiences," said Glenys McKenzie, General Manager of Southern Group Training, who coordinated the challenge.

The challenge, which is in its third year, is held alternate years to the Southland World-Skills Competition and has proven to be a ‘feeder' competition, providing apprentices with valuable competition practice and experience.

Results were as follows:

Automotive sponsored by the Motor Trade Association
1st - Chris Donald, NRG Auto Services
2nd - Nathan Smith, Southern Group Training hosted by Agnew Bros
3rd - Louise Clearwater, Southern Automobiles

Construction sponsored by Certified Builders (Carters Building Supplies Ltd, Placemakers & HomePlus)
1st - Glen Hillis, Arc Tech Joinery
2nd - Wade De Clifford, Lloyds Joinery
3rd - John Gaudion, Hokonui Kitchens and Joinery Ltd

Electrical sponsored by Radcliffe Electrical and ECANZ+
1st - Shaun McInerney, Bremca Southland
2nd - Mark Sadlier, ETCO hosted by Attitude Switchboards
3rd - Michael Russell, ETCO hosted by H & J Smith Electrical

Fabrication Welding sponsored by Southern Institute of Technology
1st - Nathan Thwaites, Southern Group Training hosted by Crown Sheetmetal
2nd - Shane Sexton, Southern Group Training hosted by E Type Engineering
3rd - Brenley Marshall, Southern Group Training hosted by Crown Sheetmetal Ltd

Fitting & Machining sponsored by Southern Institute of Technology
1st - Brett van Guens, Southern Group Training hosted by E Type Engineering
2nd - Reece O'Connor, Southern Group Training hosted by Alliance Group Mataura.

All those in attendance were well fed throughout the day courtesy of sponsorship from the Invercargill Licensing Trust, ECANZ Southland, and the Southern Institute of Technology.

Our thanks to all the volunteers who assisted in various ways from coordinating the various competitions, to judging and generally assisting in creating an excellent competition. The feedback has been excellent and it was pleasing to see a good number of the public showing their support.

Our thanks also to BOC Gases, McLeay Precision Engineering, Southern Group Training Trust, and the Southern Institute of Technology for donated materials.

The Challenge concluded with a BBQ tea and prize giving. Guest Speaker Scott O'Donnell, from the HW Richardson Group, was well received and his speech on Motorsport and his involvement over the years elicited many questions from the audience.