Paul Randall is sure he made the right choice in joining the construction industry after winning the Registered Master Builders 2006 Apprentice of the Year, in association with Carters.
Randall, who was named the East Coast Region’s Apprentice of the Year last year, entered the competition hoping to find out whether he had what it took to become a successful builder, and was thrilled to find out he had made the right career decision.
He attributes much of his success to the support and encouragement of his employer, Francis W Yates Ltd, as well as the training advisors from the BCITO.
“Francis and the other guys in the crew are always there to answer questions and have been incredibly helpful,” he says.
“I have been given the opportunity to really step up in my third year, and that has helped me advance more quickly.”
Francis Yates is a great supporter of the apprenticeship programme, and currently employs five apprentices.
“We are very proud of Paul’s achievements, and he is a great employee. I have been training apprentices for 25 years, and would certainly encourage all my guys to enter the Apprentice of the Year competition,” he says.
“It gives them a great opportunity to test themselves against their peers.”
Randall chose the construction industry because of the attractive nature of the work — it’s outdoors and practical, and being paid to train and with nothing interesting him at university it seemed the natural choice.
He is in the final stage of his apprenticeship with the BCITO, and plans to enrol in a carpentry management course at Gisborne Polytechnic next year to continue improving his industry skills and prepare to one day run his own building company.
“My ultimate goal is to have my own company, but I am in no hurry to get there. I want to do it right,” he says.
Randall is also encouraging younger apprentices he works with to enter the Apprentice of the Year competition, after finding it such a worthwhile experience.
“Winning the competition was such a confidence boost, it has really confirmed I chose the right career path, and I would definitely encourage all other apprentices to give it a go,” he says.
Entries in the 2007 Registered Master Builders Apprentice of the Year competition, in association with Carters, are open until Tuesday, July 31. The competition is also supported by the Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation (BCITO) and the Department of Building and Housing.
Entry forms can be downloaded from www.masterbuilder.org.nz or www.bcito.org.nz, or are available at Carters stores nationwide.
