Otago Polytechnic powers up regional competition

Strong performances and attention to detail saw 4 Otago Polytechnic-EarnLearn apprentices triumph in the Dunedin heat of the 2026 Trade Master Apprentice Challenge.

Run by the Master Electricians trade organisation, the annual challenge is a high-energy, hands-on event that puts apprentices through a series of real-world challenges testing their technical skills, problem-solving ability, and commitment to safe work practices.

OP hosted the regional heat at our Allied Trades building, welcoming almost 40 apprentices from around the region.

Brian Freeman, Principal Lecturer in Electrical, says each competitor faced four rounds of electrical tasks. over the day, with a second set of entrants switching in for the second day.

“Apprentices may face tasks they already know well, alongside new scenarios that help grow their confidence and capability,” says Brian.

Tasks include electrical fault-finding, switchboard building, switch wiring, cable joining and industrial electrical equipment installation.

Daniel Joint has been an apprentice with Dalco Electrical for just over a year, doing his short courses at Otago Polytechnic.

After starting his electrical pathway through the EarnLearn Gateway programme at John McGlashan College, Daniel decided to go down the Industrial apprenticeship route, working in factories, power stations, and manufacturing plants.

“I can be a bit rough so I might end up damaging too many clients’ walls,” laughs Daniel.

“So concrete works a bit better for that.”

Second year apprentice Ryan Foster was encouraged to enter by his workplace, Blueskin Electrical.

Ryan’s confident he’s chosen the right career as a commercial electrician.

“I love it. Every day’s different so there’s always a new challenge to figure out,” he says.

“And obviously it’s a high-paying job and an important job, so it’s always going to be needed.”

Otago Polytechnic’s NZ Apprenticeship in Electrical Trade (Level 4) programme is delivered by EarnLearn, and liaison Tabitha Bettis was proud to have 11 representatives lining up across two categories.

“It was impressive to see our student apprentices achieve a clean sweep of the podium in the Industrial category.”

Switchbuild apprentices Zoe Carlton and Ashley Mullan claimed first and second place in Industrial, while Casey Henry from Aotea Electric Southern finished third in his second year competing.

(L-R Michael Cumming (General Manager - Switchbuild), Zeo Carlton (1st - Industrial), Ashley Mullan (2nd - Industrial), Brendan Legg (Workshop Supervisor), Riki McRodden (Engineering Manager))

The trio also did their NZ Certificate in Electrical Pre-Trade (Level 3) studies with Otago Polytechnic.

Second year apprentice (and returning competitor) Casey says his electrical pre-trade studies gave him a really good base of understanding, and the time to work through things a little bit slower.

“I got put in a work placement during my pre-trade, and I really enjoyed the industrial-grade side of things and controlling big factories.. I always found that interesting.”

Meanwhile, Caitin Hand (Aotea Electric Southern) topped the podium in the hotly-contested Commercial & Domestic section, which had 30 competitors.

“It was also fantastic to see Caitlin take out first place in the Commercial category while only being a Year 2 apprentice. That’s an outstanding achievement,” says Tabitha.

“Events like these allow learners to test their skills, learn from others in the industry, and gain valuable experiences they can take forward into their careers.”

Aotea Electric apprentice Ana Finnie says the strong female showing in the results this year reflected the growth in the industry itself.

“There’s definitely been a big increase in female apprentices and female electricians,” she says.

“We have a pretty steady crew of female staff at Aotea on the tools as well as around work. It’s great to see.”

Aotea’s Contracting Manager Luke Drinkwater says the pastoral care provided by the OP-EarnLearn team is excellent, and the company sees real benefit in giving their apprentices the chance to compete in this competition.

“It’s good for their careers and it’s a valuable opportunity to work around like-minded peers.”

Luke says the timed challenges also help build their confidence.

“We had a young apprentice a few years ago who had no confidence.”

“But she did this challenge and came second, and she just changed after that just because people were honouring what she’d done,” he says.

Five top performers in each category from across the country will earn an all-expenses paid trip to the national finals at Eden Park, Auckland in early November.

And to celebrate the 25th year of the nationwide challenge, five of Australia’s top apprentices will be joining the Kiwis in a trans-Tasman showdown, raising the level of competition even further and strengthening industry connections across both countries.