Entries are now open for the Registered Master Builders Carters 2012 Apprentice of the Year, and organisers are expecting the quality of entrants will prove that New Zealand’s building sector is in trusted hands.

With more than $100,000 worth of prizes up for grabs, as well as the coveted title of Registered Master Builders Carters 2012 Apprentice of the Year, the competition aims to highlight career opportunities in the building and construction sector, and provides a chance for carpentry apprentices to be recognised for their incredible talent, skill and drive.

Registered Master Builders Federation chief executive Warwick Quinn says the industry is really gearing up for an influx of work over the next few years.

“There will be plenty of work which will require an incredibly high demand for skilled builders, many of whom will be entrants or employers in this year’s Apprentice of the Year competition,” Mr Quinn says.

“Today’s apprentices will be right in the thick of the demand and they are the future business owners that New Zealanders will be trusting to put their homes and buildings back on track.”

The construction industry is showing signs of improvement, and skilled carpentry apprentices will be crucial for the future of the sector. Home-building consents rose 8.3 percent in January compared with December 2011, with 209 consents issued in Christchurch alone, up from 61 in the previous month. This trend is expected to continue as the Christchurch rebuild, repairs to leaky homes and the housing shortage in Auckland all bring about new projects within the industry.

“It is important for employers to encourage young people to get involved, so they too can become a vital part of the industry’s future,” Mr Quinn says.

Carters Chief Executive Brent Waldron says the Apprentice of the Year competition reflects the industry’s efforts to attract and train talented individuals and recognises the efforts of the employers who train and develop them.

“It is our generation’s responsibility to ensure the industry will be in safe hands – forward-thinking building businesses that take on and grow these apprentices, including encouraging them to enter the competition, should be commended,” says Mr Waldron.

Entries for the Apprentice of the Year are open until June 28, 2012. For further information, or to download an entry form, go to www.apprenticeoftheyear.co.nz. Entry forms can also be collected from Carters stores nationwide.

Apprentices, employers and those young people aspiring to be a part of the construction industry are encouraged to join up to the Facebook page: www.facebook.com/apprenticeoftheyear.

The Apprentice of the Year competition is made possible thanks to principal sponsor Carters, the Registered Master Builders Federation, the Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation (BCITO), and supporting sponsor the Department of Building and Housing.