Dannevirke's Andrew Champion has won gold in the BOC welding section of the national WorldSkills competition, following in the footsteps of fellow Dannevirke RCR Energy Systems engineers.
Andrew, 19, always wanted to be an engineer, but was roofing in Tauranga when he saw a newspaper article alerting him to an opening for apprentices in heavy fabrication with Competenz, the industry training organising.
Andrew began with RCR Energy Systems in Dannevirke when he was 16 and will finish his apprenticeship next year.
"Working through the unit standards always makes you think about how much higher you can go," he said. "How you can aim to be the best tradesperson you can be.
"Doing an apprenticeship is a great way to learn to believe in yourself. Don't let anyone say you can't do what you want to do. I can travel the world as an engineer and I want to see where it takes me."