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Hawkes Bay’s Top Apprentices Named
10 October 2007
Alistair Christie thought an apprenticeship sounded like a ‘good idea’ when his workmates suggested it.
Now he realises it was one of the best decisions of his career, after being named Hawke’s Bay ATNZ Apprentice of the Year.
“I just wish I’d done it sooner,” says Alistair, referring to his engineering apprenticeship which he completed just weeks ago.
The Napier resident also won the award for top year three apprentice at the awards, which are made among young people by ATNZ (Apprentice Training New Zealand).
ATNZ, a not-for-profit organisation and the country’s largest employer and mentor of engineering apprentices, annually recognises the top apprentices from each of the four years. An overall winner is selected from each region, competing for the national New Zealand Apprentice of the Year title which is awarded in December.
Of the 1400 people currently undertaking modern apprenticeships, in excess of 800 are part of the ATNZ organisation and are seconded to companies where they work gaining their engineering qualifications.
At 29, Alistair has tried his hand at a number of jobs, both in New Zealand and overseas. But it wasn’t until he started working in the manufacturing plant at fertiliser manufacturer Ravensdown, that Alistair was prompted to consider an apprenticeship.
“I decided to do my apprenticeship after speaking to my workmates who had been through an apprenticeship and said it would be a great thing for me to do. I’m just really thankful to Ravensdown for encouraging me through the apprenticeship – and to ATNZ for their mentoring as well. So may people have helped me one way or another,” says Alistair.
John Perry, Ravensdown Engineering Services Manager and Alistair’s boss, says Alistair’s potential was evident from day one.
“It wasn’t hard to see Alistair’s potential early on. He is very motivated and breezed through his apprenticeship theory. His ability means he’s been treated as a qualified tradesman from his second apprenticeship year.
“Alistair has a promising future ahead of him – I can certainly see him running a workshop in not too many years,” says John.
The EPMU year one award went to James Tollison, a maintenance and diagnostics apprentice who works for Pan Pac Forest Products Ltd. The Competenz year two award went to Jason Williams, who works at Hawkes Bay Refrigeration as a refrigeration and airconditioning apprentice. The top year four Blackwoods Paykel award went to Myles Moloney, also a maintenance and diagnostics apprentice who is now working in Australia, but completed his apprenticeship with Baker Engineering.
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