third year apprentice challenge

Open to all ITaB and Certified Builders third year apprentices

This Challenge is designed to bring all apprentices, employers and tutors together for a positive experience at a practical level. It will then take you to the next skills level - and slightly out of your comfort zone. The Challenge will build character and give you confidence to try different things.

The Challenge

The APPRENTICE CHALLENGE FORM will be given out to all Third Year ITaB apprentices by Tutors at your block courses. (The questions on the forms are to be answered only by the apprentice.) Download the form here.

Apprentices should return forms to tutors or ITaB (address below). Tutors collate all forms back and decide on 4 – 6 (maximum) finalists for practical exercise. (They will be chosen by tutors and the ITM local store representative). If you are not in an ITaB apprenticeship course you will need to send your application to:

CBANZ/ITaB
PO Box 13405
Tauranga Central
Tauranga 3141
Attn Apprentice Challenge

We will get it to the right person in your region for consideration to the next stage.

Those who get to the next stage will compete in the practical challenge. If you are not enrolled with an ITaB provider in your area, the CBANZ regional team will work with the local ITM store for the practical challenge. You will be advised of the location, date and time for this practical exercise by mail if you reach this stage.

You will also be sent a registration form for the practical challenge that will need to be completed and returned to register you for this part of the challenge. Download the form here.

Practical exercise done to set plans: Door + Stairs Project.

This will be marked by tutors and CBANZ builders.

The top 10 apprentices go forward to national finals in Auckland. These finalists need to complete a portfolio of their work history, giving examples in photos, references, and supporting documentation of their achievements to date from their employer. (You will need to bring this with you to the finals in Auckland.)

The 10 Finalists will be flown to the CBANZ Conference event for the final part of the Challenge. All expenses will be paid to Auckland in June 2011. (The top 10 finalists will be notified by mail).

Finalists will be assigned a workshop speaker to introduce at Conference, (you will be advised prior to Conference who that speaker will be).

You will need to do some research on whoever you are assigned to introduce, an approx 2-3 minutes intro. Nothing too scary! The Apprenticeship Scholarship Trust (AST) Board will meet all finalists in a panel interview.

The AST Board will judge and decide the winners. The winners will be announced at the Saturday Night Dinner Function at CBANZ Conference - Winner gets prizes and trophy. (Runner up also gets a prize).

All finalists will have a thrill factor to add to their experience, with the opportunity of a bungy jump off the Auckland Harbour Bridge or SKYCITY (TBC).

You will be considered the ambassador for your region at Conference, so big brother will be watching you ... but hey, what an experience!

We had seven finalists flown from different parts of the country to compete in the finals of the 2010 Apprentice Challenge in Queenstown at our annual Conference at Rydges Lakeland Resort.

What great individuals they all were, it is good to know that we have outstanding apprentices in the industry, and know the future of the industry is in good hands.

The finalists had to bring along a portfolio of their work since starting their apprenticeship. They were all third year apprentices, and their portfolios were impressive. The next stage was to have a panel interview with the five trustees from the AST – Apprenticeship Scholarship Trust, they were asked five questions and rated on their answers.

They then had to introduce a workshop speaker each, which is no easy feat, but they did it well with nerves and all – not many people like public speaking. But hats off again, they all did extremely well, they had done their homework and it paid off. Again they were rated on this task.

They are all winners, and the judging and marking was so close, it really did come down to minor points, as they were all outstanding!

I would like to Congratulate the winner Kartika Mutzleburg from Unitec in Auckland who is employed by the Unitec Trust, (who has won an outward bound course courtesy of GIB WInstone Wallboards) and the runner up Graeme Mager from Northtec in Whangarei, (who won an ITM tool voucher). Well done.

I would also like to acknowledge the other finalists Justin Spain – BOPP, Mason Wilkie – Weltec, James Taylor – EIT, Dan Smith – NMIT, Ryan Thomson – CPIT and congratulate them in getting to the finals, they won the practical component of the first stage to get to the finals. This was a huge accomplishment and to their credit. They're a great bunch of apprentices, who I know we will hear lots of good things about in the future.

I am mighty proud to be involved with the first apprentice challenge, and to have met them all. They have told me it has been life changing for them, so it was an amazing experience for everyone involved. And they are all looking forward to becoming trade qualified, joining the Association and getting to Conference every year! Great results. Thanks to all the providers, tutors, employers and industry who supported this challenge, and also the AST, a big thanks – Sally Blackler

Look out for next year's challenge, the information will be coming out to you later in the year.

From Left Graeme Mager, Dan Smith, Kartika Mutzelburg, Mason Wilkie, Ryan Thomson, James Taylor and Justin Spain