WorldSkills New Zealand Announces Winning Apprentices

WorldSkills New Zealand Announces Winning Apprentices

New Zealand’s top trade apprentices were announced at an awards ceremony today following an intensive two-day WorldSkills New Zealand 2014 national competition held in Hamilton.

Hosted by Wintec (Waikato Institute of Technology), the WorldSkills New Zealand 2014 national competition saw 90 regional competition finalists from across the country showcase their talent across 18 industry categories ranging from engineering and automotive to hospitality, hairdressing and carpentry. Each competitor completed a specific project over two days, replicating problems and tasks that they would encounter in their daily jobs.

Executive Chairman Bruce Howat says the WorldSkills competition is designed to promote excellence within and across multiple trade sectors resulting in widespread downstream benefits.

“I’ve just spent two days watching New Zealand’s next professional tradespeople and business leaders at work and they are truly inspiring,” he says. “It’s great to see so many focused, skilled and enthusiastic young people in one place and I’ve no doubt they are poised for success.”

Mr Howat says he’s looking forward to supporting, challenging and nurturing this year’s category winners as they prepare to compete at the Oceania WorldSkills competition in April 2015 before potential selection for the WorldSkills New Zealand “Tool Blacks” team destined for Brazil to compete at the International WorldSkills Competition in August 2015.

Click here to see the winners of the 2014 WorldSkills National Competition.

About WorldSkills New Zealand
WorldSkills New Zealand is an independent, not-for-profit Charitable Trust dedicated to encouraging vocational trade/skill excellence by encouraging participation at regional, national and international WorldSkills competitions. Working closely with ITOs, polytechnics and private companies, the organisation promotes skills training as a first choice to school leavers, promotes consistent international performance benchmarks and supports a New Zealand “Tool Black” team presence at the bi-annual WorldSkills International Finals competing against 65 other countries.

WorldSkills NZ competitions are open to anyone undertaking trade/skill training and persons under 23 who have finished their training.

Since 1986, 6000 New Zealanders have participated in WorldSkills competitions supported by enthusiastic employers, mentors, work mates, family, friends, communities and more than 700 volunteers.

www.worldskills.org.nz

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