Apprentices from Otago, Southland, Central Lakes and Gore tested their skills in a practical challenge at Carters in front of more than 80 friends and family.
They were among nearly 100 apprentices taking part in the challenge at the same time in centres throughout the country.
Southern Master Builders regional branch and events manager Jennifer Marriott said three of the entrants had come back for a second shot at the challenge, which this year required them to build a planter box in two hours.
They were given the plans only five minutes before the timer started and had two judges watching their every move, Mrs Marriott said.
They were given a tool list beforehand, and only had the precise materials needed to complete the planter box.
“So if they make a mistake, they don’t get any other materials and have to work around that.”
The judges were looking for accuracy, assessing the plans and producing good quality.
“They’d rather see something put together really well that hasn’t quite been finished, rather than something that’s completed, but of poor quality.”
The apprentices had to have completed 18 months’ training but must not have been signed off by the time entries for the competition opened.
Before Saturday’s challenge, they completed a project submission that demonstrated their understanding of a building job from start to finish.
The scores from the project and practical challenge were combined, the 12 apprentices being cut to 10.
They would go on to an interview and a site visit to their project submission.
After that, the three scores would be combined to determine the regional winner, to be announced in August, who would go to the national competition in Auckland in November.
All of Saturday’s entrants had shown courage just to enter, knowing they would be closely scrutinised under time pressure in front of family and friends, Mrs Marriott said.
“They really have to push themselves out of their comfort zone.”
