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National | Education

Apprentices vie for spot in Tool Blacks 2017 team

Top trade apprentices and trainees will compete at next weekend's Worldskills New Zealand National Competition where they'll be vying for a position in the national Tool Blacks team for 2017.

The competition includes 15 skills categories ranging from automotive technology, plumbing and heating, hairdressing and floristry.

Those who make the cut for the Tool Blacks 2017 team till travel to the 44th Worldskills International Competition in Abu Dhabi.

WorldSkills New Zealand Chief Executive Malcolm Harris says, “From our National competition, we seek the best of the best to represent New Zealand on the global stage. From this point, we’re operating in a high-performance environment and these competitors know it.”

Harris explains that the national competition is a big step-up from the regional competitions.

“It is like the Olympics of the trades. The global competition attracts thousands of competitors across a multitude of skills categories, and global sponsors – like Samsung for example – recruit from the top talent competing there. So to be selected to represent New Zealand is a huge honour, and at the same time we’re showcasing New Zealand’s quality industry training system, ” he Harris.

20-year old Jade Winter who is an apprentice plumber from Palmerston North’s Petersson Plumbing & Drainage is a newcomer to the event. She says making the national team will be the opportunity of a lifetime.

“To make it into the Tool Blacks and represent NZ would be a huge achievement. Just to be able to travel doing what you love would be wicked.”

The National competition is project based with competitors completing the assigned projects over two high-pressure days.

Worldskills New Zealand encourages young tradespeople to compete.

“Through WorldSkills NZ your skill, trade or service career can truly take you to the absolute top of your industry,” says Harris.

The competition will take place at Wintec in Rotokauri, Hamilton on Friday 30 September and Saturday 1 October from 8am-5pm.