The best building and construction apprentice in the country is 22-year-old Ryan Keogh from Dunedin.

Ryan competed for the top prize by beating 10 regional finalists from around New Zealand. The awards recognise excellence among carpentry apprentices and aim to raise awareness of the career opportunities in the building and construction industry in New Zealand.

The competition judges said Ryan, who works for Naylor Love Construction Ltd in Dunedin, performed consistently across the competition.

“He’s going to be an asset to the industry because he is passionate about the building industry and he has a desire to succeed,” judges said.

“Ryan is strong in his health and safety knowledge, and his workmanship is very good. Ryan said he would rather take his time and get things right, and that showed through in his performance in the competition’s practical component,” they said. “We were looking for someone who excelled in all areas of building, and we found that in Ryan. We’re very pleased to award him the top honours in this year’s competition.”

Judging took place over two days and included a 45-minute interview with the national judging panel and a half day practical component to test their carpentry skills.

The Minister for Building and Construction, Hon Maurice Williamson, says the competition provides a great platform for talented young apprentices to further themselves and prove that the industry is in safe hands. “With the construction industry looking to have a challenging and exciting future ahead, it is great to see such talented individuals making their mark,” Mr Williamson says.

“The built environment is so important to our future and the calibre of these young men should give us real confidence,” he says.

Second place was awarded to Matt Saathof, 21, of Hastings who is employed by Gemco Construction in Havelock North. Twenty-year-old Tom Storey, employed by Simon Linton Construction Ltd in Ohope, took out third place.

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