Three Whanganui building apprentices will strut their stuff in this year's Registered Master Builders Carters 2019 Apprentice of the Year competition.
The Whanganui apprentices will be amongst 13 competitors in the Central North Island two-hour practical challenge to be held in Palmerston North on June 22.
Registered Master Builders chief executive David Kelly said the industry needed to do more to diversify the sector in order to meet the strong demand for trained talent.
"We know the construction industry needs at least 25,000 qualified people in the next five years to meet demand," Kelly said.
"We also know that more apprentices are coming to the trades later in life, so we have updated the competition to reflect this."