Apprentice Training New Zealand (ATNZ) has been has been providing quality apprentices and service support to companies since 1999. We are New Zealand’s largest employer of engineering and related trades apprentices, employing 379 apprentices.
ATNZ works in partnership with 181 host companies, where the apprentices are placed for the on-job component of their apprenticeship training. ATNZ is a registered charity that re-invests in its apprentices every year.
During 2018, ATNZ has continued to deliver on the strategic plan and work towards the next phase of growth. This has seen the organisation expand in size and shape, to meet the changing needs of group training schemes in New Zealand. Team development, processes and policies have
been refined and updated throughout the year.
Bill Newson
Bill is National Secretary of E tū. He has a trades background and many years of involvement in trades training. This includes playing a major role in developing the engineering apprenticeship training trusts.
Mike Wardlaw
Mike was the Managing Director of Babcock NZ, one of New Zealand’s largest mechanical, engineering and electronics engineering firms for 11 years, retiring in 2017. Prior to this, he had a 35-year career with the Royal New Zealand Navy which included senior shore roles and command of two ships.
Mike Lehan
Mike is the General Manager of Mt Maunganui based Page Macrae Engineering. He has more than 28 years’ experience in the engineering industry in Australasia.
Fiona Kingsford
Fiona is the CEO of Competenz. She holds an advanced diploma in Human Resources and an Executive MBA from the University of Auckland. Before joining Competenz in 2009, Fiona worked in the media, food manufacturing, emergency services and hospitality sectors.
ATNZ continues to increase the number of apprentices we employ in the engineering and related sectors. We achieve this by providing a valuable service to our host companies that supports them to grow their business. Our apprentices choose us because we engage with them, mentor them and help them manage the challenges involved in completing their qualifications.
New apprentices
Apprentices employed
Host companies
Apprentices graduated
This year, we continued to partner with prominent mental health educator Mike King and his charity Key to Life to encourage our apprentices to show strength by speaking up about mental health issues.
A key focus and priority for ATNZ is ensuring our apprentices are placed in a safe environment including the promotion of good health and wellbeing practices. This adds assurance for the apprentices that they are in a good learning environment. ATNZ has achieved ACC’s Workplace Safety Management Practices (WSMP) to tertiary accreditation, the highest level of accreditation.
This year, we continued to partner with prominent mental health educator Mike King and his charity Key to Life to encourage our apprentices to show strength by speaking up about mental health issues.
Mechanical engineering apprentice Caleb Orotaunga says being named the inaugural ATNZ Apprentice of the Year in November has given him more confidence and motivation to work even harder so he can live up to his new title.
Pacific Steel NZ employs 160 people at its South Auckland steel manufacturing plant and over the last 15 years, 24 ATNZ apprentices have graduated through the company’s apprentice training scheme. Prior to working with ATNZ, Pacific Steel found the apprentice recruitment process time consuming and quite difficult.
Rick Oliver
National Manager
Karolina Spencer
HR Manager
Gerard Robbins
Health and Safety Manager
Emma Saulo
Payroll Manager
Saunders Mitchell
Recruitment Officer, Engineering, Print and Plastics
Margaret Finnegan
HR and Payroll Officer
ATNZ has eight dedicated account managers across New Zealand who are passionate about seeing apprentices reach their full potential. They mentor and guide apprentices throughout their training and help host companies to manage all aspects of their apprentice’s training programme. Each account manager currently has a portfolio of approximately 56 apprentices.
Roy Adams
Dave Bennett
Matt Durham
John McGregor
Bevan Prince
Jo Brierley
Nick Williams
Kevin Withell
As part of the service level agreement with Competenz, there are five training advisors who split their time between Competenz and ATNZ apprentices. These people complete our field team and allow us to support more apprentices in more locations around the country.
Janene Bang
Mardo De Nobrega
Murray Welsh
Noel Clayton
Angus Ryburn