22 November 2018
Refrigeration apprentice Michael Johnson took out the title of Engineering Taranaki Consortium 2018 Apprentice of the Year at the 14th annual event held in New Plymouth this month.
Michael is in the fourth year of his apprenticeship working for Excel Refrigeration in Hawera.
Competenz training advisor Dave Cullen spoke highly of his apprentice. “Michael's consistency of producing high standard workplace assessments alongside his exceptional goal setting and motivation are qualities he has demonstrated in his apprenticeship to date.”
The annual ETC awards recognise excellence in engineering apprenticeships in Taranaki, and Competenz sponsored two awards presented on the night.
The Competenz eLearning Trainee of the Year Award recognises trainees who have embraced online learning and used it to further their training, and in doing so driving their learning themselves and monitoring their progress with the support of their employer.
The award went to Joel Campbell of Fonterra Whareroa.
The Gateway to Industry Awards celebrate students who have completed work placements with engineering, refrigeration or electrical firms in the region.
Three of these awards were presented this year to winner Jay Sybrandy (Francis Douglas Memorial College), second place Connor Kilgour (Waitara High School) and third place Matt Irvine (Francis Douglas Memorial College).
In her speech at the event, Competenz General Manager of Industry Training Amanda Wheeler said Competenz has been supporting Taranaki businesses for more than 20 years.
“At Competenz we strive to transform lives, every learner, every time. For us the learner is at the heart of everything we do. And, we champion the statement that education and learning isn’t something that you can ever finish. It must be lifelong.
“We’re proud to recognise and celebrate our learner’s achievements in Taranaki over the past 12 months. There have been 31 apprentices graduate in many forms of engineering in the Taranaki region in 2018 – in specialties ranging from fabrication to mechanical building services to refrigeration and air con, to fire protection, fire detection and alarms, we’re super proud of their achievements. Congratulations!”
Photo: Engineering Taranaki Consortium 2018 Apprentice of the Year Michael Johnson pictured with Competenz General Manager of Industry Training Amanda Wheeler and National Manager of Apprenticeships Greg Stuart.
