APPRENTICE OF THE MONTH

MARCH APPRENTICE OF MONTH

Thorough planning produces a quality outcome

Third-year apprentice Kane Nisbet stepped up to the plate when he was faced with the excavation of footings for two houses, making sure he was always prepared for the next stage.

The job included concrete footings and beams, shutters for steps in footings, steel cages and starters, plus having to consider safety and time management.

Kane’s preparation involved spending two hours of his Sunday afternoon to create a plan that included helpful strategies. This allowed him to approach the work on Monday with confidence and a strong idea of the appropriate processes.

The planning kept him ahead of the work being done each day while breaking down each task in detail ensured everything was in line with the design.

The careful planning and dedication resulted in Kane passing inspection and receiving high praise from his boss and mentor.

The experience taught Kane that being calm, breaking down tasks, and being a positive team member makes a big difference in finishing a job well. It also showed him the importance of not being afraid to ask questions, which is all part of the learning process and honing your craft.

The judges were impressed by Kane’s approach — completing a demanding task by creating a detailed plan to reach a quality standard in his work.

APRIL APPRENTICE OF MONTH

Communication and planning key to solving workplace problem

Fourth-year apprentice Patrick Leckie channelled his best problem-solving skills when faced with the situation of having to fit five 380mm wide full rectangle PFCs into an existing home.

The crane with the PFCs could not reach the entry of the house, so Patrick and his colleagues cut some pipe and built plywood ramps to roll them in.

Patrick made sure the floor was protected too, as this was already finished. It took seven of the team to roll them in, with the lightest PFC weighing 550kg! Once they were rolled into the house, they used Genie lifts and strops off the existing top plates to get them to height.

It took two days to have the PFCs in and braced, and the experience taught Patrick some important lessons.

“Communication is key and taking the time to come up with a thorough plan is vital when there is seven of us involved,” said Patrick. “I also learnt the hard way how heavy PFCs are!”

The judges admired Patrick’s strategic thinking and approach to communicating with the team to get the job done.

PAC CASH TRADE DISCOUNTS

Don’t forget that all current PAC members have access to cash trade discounts on safety gear and hand tools plus other product ranges (some exclusions apply) at all PlaceMakers branches. Visit the PAC hub for more details – pac.placemakers.co.nz