The annual Apprentice of the Year Awards mark the start of a long and exciting journey for seven top apprentices. By Alicia Lambert. Excitement is high as the printing industry’s top six apprentices of 2005 look forward to the PAITC Apprentice Awards and the Pride In Print Awards on June 9.
These six apprentices are in contention for the top printing industry training award –Apprentice of the Year. They will attend an Apprentice of the Year interview the day before receiving their Branch Awards at the PAITC Apprentice Awards Breakfast on June 9. The top National Certificate trainee will also be recognised at the Apprentice Awards Breakfast.
The Apprentice of the Year will be announced live on stage at Pride In Print in front of an audience of 1000 people.
Although they may vary in age and background, the Apprentice of the Year finalists and top National Certificate trainee all have one thing in common – a passion for doing their job well.
Screen Award winner Ian Townsend of Hot Printz Screenprinting enjoys the different challenges each job gives him and producing a quality product.
“Winning this award has given me so much confidence. I have never won anything before so this makes me feel proud of myself.”
Graphic Pre-Press Award winner Matthew McPhail of Precision Lithographics says winning this award is the highlight of his working career so far.
“I love my job and all the challenges it brings. I am so happy and excited to be chosen for the Graphic Pre-Press Award. Through all the hard work I put in to get myself to this point in the industry, I would never have dreamed I would be lucky enough to receive such an award.”
Esther Sullivan of Grey Star-James Print says she was shocked about winning the Sheet-fed Award.
“I love the variety printing brings. I enjoy being busy and my job doesn’t usually feel like work. Once I get started on a project I get enthused and so I had fun with the correspondence (during the apprenticeship).”
Kelvin Hinaki of Charta Packaging has come a long way from starting in the industry as a seasonal worker to winning the Paperboard Packaging Award.
“The enjoyment I get is being satisfied with the finished product, knowing that I have done my best to achieve good quality to satisfy the customer. I have been given the opportunity to further my skills and have taken up a supervisors training course, so management is my career aspiration.”
Jacob Wentholt of Amcor Flexibles Australasia started out his career as a production support trainee before completing his apprenticeship and going on to win the Reel-fed Award.
“The teamwork environment has always been a strong factor for me, so working hard with co-workers to achieve a good print is always rewarding.”
Binding & Finishing Award winner Andres Blank, of PMP Print Times Colour, plans to continue working in the industry and maybe look at a supervisor or management role in the future.
“I feel that winning the Binding & Finishing Award is a great achievement and I feel privileged to be able to attend the Apprentice Awards ceremony.”
Top National Certificate trainee Danny Chandra of Chaucer Press enjoys the variety of work, which makes his job interesting and challenging.
“My career aspirations are to expand on my supervisory skills and increase my skills to management level.”
Congratulations to the branch award winners.
Apprentice of the Year Finalists
Finalists: the winner will be announced at the Pride In Print Awards on June 9
Binding & Finishing Award
Sponsored by Print Finishers Association
Andres Blank - PMP Print Times Colour, Warkworth
Graphic Pre-Press Award
Sponsored by Natcoll Design Technology
Matthew McPhail – Precision Lithographics, Christchurch
Paperboard Packaging Award
Sponsored by the New Zealand Paperboard Packaging Association
Kelvin Hinaki – Charta Packaging Ltd,
Lower Hutt
Reel-fed Award
Sponsored by the Newspaper Publishers Association
Jacob Wentholt – Amcor Flexibles Australasia,
East Tamaki
Screen Award
Sponsored by Blue Print Imaging Ltd
Ian Townsend – Hot Printz Screenprinting Ltd, Whangarei
Sheet-fed Award
Sponsored by PrintNZ
Esther Sullivan – Grey Star-James Print, Greymouth
Top National Certificate Trainee Award
Sponsored by the Engineering, Printing & Manufacturing Union
Danny Chandra – Chaucer Press Ltd, Christchurch
