98 | BUILDING Harrold Building New builds | Renovation | Addition | Alterations 027 253 9861 mharroldbuilding@gmail.com www.harroldbuilding.com Putting in the effort at Apprentice Challenge Andrew Jackson and his boss Michael Harrold travelled up from Cromwell to the event which coincided with the annual NZCB Conference. T T Emma Bailey “Apprentices are our next breed of builders; it is really important to encourage them.” Central Otago was represented this year at New Zealand Certified Builder Association’s (NZCB) Apprentice Challenge by Harrold Building’s Andrew Jackson after he won the regional final in May. The national final for the NZCB Apprentice Challenge took place in Auckland in early June with 15 regional finalists taking part. Both Andrew Jackson and his boss Michael Harrold travelled up from Cromwell to the event which coincided with the annual NZCB Conference. As an employer Michael cannot stress the importance of apprentices enough and the value of the competition. “Apprentices are our next breed of builders; it is really important to encourage them. As it is, we are struggling to find builders. I have six guys and could do with six more. I’ve been advertising since Christmas and only just had another guy start over the winter.” Two of his builders are apprentices. “You have to get the right guys above them; there are definitely some builders who can’t be bothered teaching apprentices. “The first year is always going to be tough because you have so much to learn. The apprentice has to really want to be a builder too; it’s hard work, long days and big hours. You have to want to do it.” Apprentice Andrew highly recommended taking part in the competition. For the regional heats entrants competed in an eight-hour practical to design and build a Pātaka, a community sharing cupboard. Each project was then donated to a community group in their region. “The challenges at the final were tough. For one we had to build a free-standing stool from a plank of wood using no fixing or glue and using notches to hold it together. “We ended up with 15 very different stools. We were able to unassemble them to bring them home which was great. We were judged on the final product and scored against the original plans we had created.” Meeting the other apprentices and the wider building community was a highlight. “They were all great dudes and it was great networking. We had a blast and the flights and accommodation were all paid for. Every apprentice should do it. It is really well run with lots of prizes — I got a free Milwaukee battery and a nail gun.” After two busy days the NZCB national apprentice of the year went to Caidan Brien of Whangarei taking home a $10,000 prize package. Meanwhile back home in Cromwell, business was busy, Michael said. “At the conference the only region that seemed to be struggling was Auckland.” Michael, 36, did his apprenticeship 18 years ago in Balclutha. “I didn’t want to be in school. I had done a year as a joiner which I enjoyed but it started to get a bit repetitive.” After his apprenticeship he went overseas and came back and worked in Wanaka before “accidentally” starting up his own business. “I took six months off to build a house for a family member and the work kept coming in and I never looked back.”
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