Giving first-year apprentices confidence to compete
Sometimes an employer sees what an apprentice is capable of before they recognise it themselves…
When first-year ATNZ refrigeration and air conditioning apprentice Courtney Roff was encouraged to enter the Wallie Askew Memorial Workskills Competition this year, she was far from convinced.
“My boss gave me no option,” she laughs.
Coming to the end of her first year, Courtney knew she would be competing alongside apprentices with considerably more experience, including some who had entered the competition previously.
“I was a little bit freaked out. I heard that I was a year one going up against year threes, and it just didn’t give me a lot of confidence.”
While Courtney may have doubted whether she was ready, her team at Active Refrigeration Group had confidence in her ability and made sure she had the opportunity to prepare.
Preparing for the challenge
In the weeks leading up to the competition, Courtney’s manager set her up with a standalone chiller and challenged her to complete the installation of the evaporator and outdoor unit from start to finish.
It was particularly valuable preparation for an apprentice who usually works with ammonia systems in industrial refrigeration. The exercise allowed Courtney to practise a broader range of skills and become familiar with the kind of work she would encounter during the competition.
When competition day arrived, Courtney joined 10 other apprentices in Palmerston North. Across four practical and theoretical areas, the competitors were tested on pipe bending and brazing, industry theory, electrical work and refrigerant weighing.
Despite being one of the least experienced apprentices in the field, Courtney more than held her own. She finished fifth – an impressive result so early in her apprenticeship.
Confidence through opportunity
The Wallie Askew Memorial Workskills Competition gives apprentices the chance to test their technical knowledge, work under pressure and learn alongside others at different stages of their training. For Courtney, it also became an opportunity to discover that she was more capable than she initially believed.
Her experience demonstrates what can happen when apprentices are encouraged to step beyond the familiar. Confidence does not always arrive before the challenge; sometimes it develops because someone has been given the opportunity to take part.
Courtney’s result is also a strong example of the role employers and managers can play in developing the industry’s next generation. By recognising potential, providing practical preparation and encouraging apprentices to have
a go, employers can help build both technical capability and professional confidence.
For Courtney, entering the competition may not initially have felt like her own decision. Finishing fifth among a field of more experienced competitors, however, proved that her manager’s confidence was well placed.