Younger Builders’ commitment to excellence evident in apprentice’s win

Mangawhai-based Younger Builders’ commitment to quality and excellence is evident in the success of its team members and the projects it delivers. The company recently completed a contemporary 250-square-metre home in Mangawhai that combines bagged brick, thermally modified timber and vertical shiplap weatherboards to create a relaxed coastal aesthetic. The overall design and pool construction were achieved with the help of Strachan Group Landscape Architects. Younger Builders director Hamish Younger says projects like this provide valuable learning opportunities for apprentices, exposing them to the high level of detailing and workmanship required in architecturally designed homes.

This ethos led to the team’s celebration on the national apprentice stage, with 20-year-old Caiden Brien taking out top honours at the New Zealand Certified Builders Apprentice Challenge and being crowned the country’s leading apprentice builder.

Caiden secured his place in the national final after winning the Whangārei regional heats, where he outperformed nine other competitors in an intensive eight-hour build challenge. He then went on to face the best apprentices from around New Zealand at the national final in Auckland, where his workmanship, attention to detail, time management and ability to perform under pressure saw him claim the national title.

The Apprentice Challenge is regarded as one of New Zealand’s premier competitions for emerging tradespeople, testing both practical building skills and professional presentation abilities in front of industry leaders and peers. The national victory marks a major milestone for Caiden and reflects the investment Younger Builders has made in developing young talent through structured training and on-site experience.

“Apprentices are the future of the industry. They are the ones who will drive how the industry develops and evolves, so it is important we invest in them early and properly.”

Hamish says winning the national title is a significant achievement and recognition of the hard work Caiden has put into his apprenticeship. “This result reflects Caiden’s natural ability as much as the structured training he has received on site,” Hamish says. “We have developed him over time, instilling a strong work ethic and a disciplined approach, and attention to detail is something we are very focused on. I am a bit of a perfectionist, so that carries through in the way we train on site. That will serve him well throughout his career, and he has a bright future ahead of him.”

Hamish says Caiden has shown steady growth since joining the business through a Gateway programme while still at school, before progressing into a BCITO apprenticeship. This was the second time Caiden competed in the challenge, having placed third in the regional competition in 2023. Hamish says that experience helped prepare him for success on the national stage. “To go from third place previously to winning the national title shows just how much he has developed, both as a builder and as a person,” he says.

Hamish believes apprentices remain critical to the future of the construction industry, particularly as demand for skilled tradespeople continues to grow across Northland and beyond. “Apprentices are the future of the industry,” he says. “If they are trained the right way from the start, they carry those skills through their entire careers. They are the ones who will drive how the industry develops and evolves, so it is important we invest in them early and properly.”

The national title is also a reflection of the wider culture within Younger Builders, where training, pride in workmanship and teamwork remain central to every project the company delivers. “We want to train people who care about what they are building,” Hamish says. “Seeing Caiden achieve this shows that the approach is working, and it is something we are really proud of as a team.”