The 20-year-old Napier resident began his apprenticeship last year, after deciding the quantity surveying course he was doing was not for him. "I like doing hands-on work and being able to see the finished product of what you're doing."
Gemco also signed up three other apprentices last year. "You don't need to go to Christchurch or Auckland if you want to get into building," Mr Richards said.
The latest Statistics New Zealand data show a steady number of new dwelling consents in Hawke's Bay. There were 376 residential building consents granted in October 2014, compared with 375 for the same month the year prior.
In Napier, the number of consents rose from 131 in October 2013 to 148 in October last year, while consents dropped in Hastings from 215 to 185.
The boom was not just in the residential sector. The number of building consents issued nationally for non-residential buildings was higher in the year to October 2014 than in the previous five years, at 14,587.
From 2009-11, the number of consents were fewer than 10,000, while in 2012 there were 10,334 consents and in 2013 there were 12,120.
Building and Construction ITO chief executive Ruma Karaitiana said strong economic activity and demand for construction work had driven apprentice numbers up.
"The construction industry has been running hot for the last 18 months or so," he said. "The growth was initially fuelled by Christchurch but in 2014 we saw a lift across the whole country."
The growth was particularly evident in Auckland and other parts of the upper North Island, he said.
"The story of Auckland is a story of high demand, a shortage of houses and a general inability to catch-up.
"It's been great for us, as the majority of our trainees are trained in residential sector, so when the residential sector really kicks off, like it has in Auckland, there's a lot of opportunities for our apprentices."
A government "reboot" programme - which offered employers and apprentices subsidies of up to $2000 to help with the cost of training - had also helped boost numbers, he said. The programme finished on December 31.
Demand for apprentices still outweighed the number of people taking up apprenticeships, however, he said.
"Christchurch will come to a natural peak soon but, with demand factors in Auckland forecast to be high beyond 2020, we're still going to be short of what we need going forward.
"If you're thinking about doing a trade, now's perhaps the best time in the history of the industry to get yourself trained and established."
