Learners we work with
PrintNZ Apprentice of the Year
Stuff Petone Press Operator Josh Crawford said he was “humbled” to be named the overall 2019 PrintNZ Apprentice of the Year.
“It feels pretty surreal, a little bit weird. It is also a relief now that it is over. I feel a weight has come off my shoulders.”
Having grown up in Wainuiomata and now aged 33, Josh said he took a while to find his way into the apprenticeship.
“I had a few setbacks before I started at the Dominion, which became Stuff. I was in a job that I wanted to leave.
“My partner Helena’s uncle was a supervisor at the Dominion and I asked him if he could give me a job here. I was willing to do anything, I didn’t care what it was, I really enjoyed working in print.” Josh was soon offered an apprenticeship.
Competenz Training Advisor Malcolm Pearce, who meets with Josh four times a year during his apprenticeship, has been impressed with his work from the start.
“From the beginning, Joshua was impatient to succeed. I found his attitude refreshing,” he says.
Stuff Petone Print Centre Production Manager Hugh Taylor, says Josh has overcome some major life changes and challenges in recent years.
“It hasn’t always been easy for Josh, like most people there have been family issues to deal with – he has become a father twice – while completing his apprenticeship and has been able to balance the demands of work and family,” says Hugh.
“All this while managing to remain an extremely likeable guy who genuinely gets on with pretty much everyone. I have had the pleasure of watching him grow not only from a print perspective but also as a family man whilst completing his apprenticeship.”