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Jess Nielsen from Taumarunui has made history by becoming the first woman to secure a top-three finish in the 2023 Registered Master Builders Carters Apprentice of the Year competition.
Nielsen, a 21-year-old building apprentice with Sloan Annand Builders, took out third place in the competition last week. She was just the second woman to ever reach the national round of the competition.
Winner of the competition was Auckland’s Jack Nevines of Faulkner Construction and runner-up was Issac Posthuma from the Northern region who is employed by JR Build.
The annual competition recognised excellence among carpentry apprentices and raised awareness of career opportunities in the building and construction industry, and saw eight finalists build it out for the top title.
Having clinched the top spot in the Waikato regional round earlier this year, Nielsen earned the opportunity to advance to the national round in Auckland at Conztruct.
“To make it to the finals was a pretty big deal. I was honestly a bit surprised to win the competition [regional], I sort of just entered hoping for the best, then going to the nationals is sort of a cherry on top because to win the title in the first place already exceeded my expectations of myself.
“It was pretty stressful but it was a great experience and I’m proud of myself”, she said.
Neilsen said the national round was a lot more challenging than the regional round.
“The regional round was only a two-hour practical and the national was six hours, we started at 20 past 11 and finished around 6.30pm. It was pretty much just like a normal day at work with two smokos and a lot more pressure.
Jess Nielsen at the 2023 Registered Master Builders Carters Apprentice of the Year competition at the Waikato regional round. Photo / Acumen NZ
“It was a more technical build and much larger project, but it was cool because the six hours was just enough and most people got across the line with their projects”, she said.
The practical part saw the apprentices craft a work bench that will be donated to early learning centres.
Neilsen said a big part of her success is because of her boss Sloane.
“When I was in high school, I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I took a gap year in 2020 and decided to start my apprenticeship in 2021 after I had done some laboring jobs to help out.
“I reached out to my boss and he was supportive enough to take me on which is quite daunting because he didn’t really know me, so it was kind of a big deal for him to take me on.
“He gave me the opportunity especially employing a chick because I guess he’s never employed one before, so he was a little bit uncertain but he gave me the opportunity and look at where I am because of it.
“There are women who talk about having issues in the building industry but I’ve never felt the barrier. I’ve never felt any different or had special treatment, my boss gave me equal opportunities even while working in a male-dominated industry, he’s been very supportive of having a chick.”
Neilsen’s advice to females wanting to enter the carpentry industry is to ‘try before you buy’.
“Don’t be afraid to just go out and do a week or two as work experience whether it’s paid or unpaid so you actually know what it’s like before entering the industry.
“Shop around because you don’t have to go for the first person you find. Take your time, don’t rush into it, and find the right person to work for and the opportunities will arise”, she said.
After working for Sloan Annand Builders for two and a half years, Nielsen is moving on to bigger building opportunities this week in Wānaka.
Her biggest dream is to build her own house one day and to get into renovations of old historic villas.
Malisha Kumar is a multimedia journalist based in Hamilton. She joined the Waikato Herald in 2023 after working for Radio 1XX in Whakatāne.
