ATT Annual Awards 2026: celebrating our 2025 award winners

At the end of March, we held ATT’s annual awards night and brought together apprentices and host businesses from across the country. It was one of those evenings with a real buzz in the room: plenty of catch-ups, plenty of proud moments, and a rare chance for host businesses to meet each other, swap stories, and connect with others.

These awards are about the stuff that matters on site and in the bookwork: turning up, working safely, taking feedback, backing your crew, and sticking with the learning when the pressure is on. We also acknowledged our 2025 graduates, because finishing an apprenticeship takes a lot of work and a lot of consistency.

 

Thank you to our sponsors and partners

ATT is a not-for-profit organisation, and nights like this only happen because partners back apprenticeships and the businesses training people on site. Thank you to Powerbase, Rheem, IntoWork, Plumbing World, TIS, Makita, NZ Safety Blackwoods, ToolWare and Skills Trades Training for your support.

 

The big moments from the night

Apprentice of the year: Jamie Dunn

The top apprentice award goes to someone who delivers consistently, not just on the good days, but week in, week out. This year, Jamie Dunn was named ATT apprentice of the year.

Jamie could not be with us on the night, but he was absolutely still celebrated, with Nick Shea from Aotea Electric Queenstown accepting the award on his behalf. It was a proud moment, and a good reminder that behind every great apprentice is a host team backing them.

Jamie has completed his electrical apprenticeship and is now a fully qualified electrician. The thing that jumped out was the pace of his progress. When he was still a month away from completing year 3, he had already finished all his on-job assessments, with only his regulations exam left between him and full completion. That sort of progress does not happen by luck. It comes from being organised, owning the details, and treating the apprenticeship like the start of a career, not just a job.

 

Host business of the year: Melray Electric Ltd

Apprentices go further when they’re trained well and treated like part of the crew. That is why the host business awards matter. They recognise the workplaces that make time for learning while still keeping jobs moving.

Melray Electric Ltd was named host business of the year for creating a supportive, welcoming environment where apprentices are guided closely and genuinely valued. It was summed up well on the night: apprentices are taken under the wing so completely that they often forget they’re employed by someone else. That is what good hosting looks like.

 

A global opportunity: the KE KELIT internship (Austria)

A highlight of the night was the announcement of the KE KELIT internship, an opportunity for one apprentice to travel to Austria for a six-month placement. It includes working alongside the team there, learning how the factory runs, and seeing how the piping systems used here in New Zealand are made.

Congratulations to Devin Thorpe, first-year plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying apprentice, who was named the recipient of the KE KELIT internship.

Devin was genuinely surprised and buzzing about it, and he had a grin on his face for the rest of the night. It was a great moment to share together as a room.

Devin also took out Plumbing excellence (year 1). He was praised for his maturity, consistently positive attitude, and the way he gets in and helps the team. He is also already well ahead with his studies and on-job achievements, which is exactly the mindset that opens doors like this early on.

 

The host businesses creating opportunity

Alongside our overall host business winner, three other host business awards recognised teams that are putting real time and effort into developing apprentices. One of the best parts of the night was seeing host businesses from different regions in the same place, meeting each other and comparing notes on what good training looks like in the real world.

Team Cabling Waikato was named Electrical host business of the year, recognised for giving apprentices variety across projects and encouraging them to step up and build confidence on the job.

DBC Building Services Ltd received Plumbing host business of the year, acknowledged for strong teamwork, supervisors who invest in training, and a close working relationship with ATT that has created standout opportunities for apprentices on significant developments.

Up N Atom Electrical Ltd was named New host business of the year, recognised for backing both ATT’s apprenticeship model and our labour hire programme, and for creating large-scale opportunities that helped pre-traders get valuable hands-on experience on site.

For host businesses and apprentices alike, it comes back to the same thing: good training lifts everyone. It builds confidence, improves quality on site, and grows skilled tradespeople the industry can rely on.

 

Recognising the people who lifted the standard

Some awards are about performance. Others are about attitude and resilience. Both matter.

Early promise and rapid growth

Ashton Davey received Electrical excellence (year 1), standing out for professionalism well beyond his experience, attention to detail, and a proactive approach that has already made him a solid part of the team.

Harley Webster received the Emerging talent award after starting his apprenticeship in June and making an impact fast, picking things up quickly and performing strongly on the tools.

 

Progress and perseverance

The Most improved apprentice award was shared by Hamish Dowdell and Kevin Vargas, recognising both an exceptional early start and impressive development over the apprenticeship journey.

Jay Morrison received the Perseverance award after tackling learning challenges head-on, committing to one-on-one support, completing year 1, and passing his capstone exam without tutor assistance.

 

Great supervision makes a real difference

Darren Smith (Team Cabling Auckland) received Outstanding electrical supervisor, recognised for patient leadership and the kind of support that helps apprentices learn from mistakes and keep improving.

Alan Goodwin (Bassett Plumbing & Drainage Ltd) received Outstanding plumbing supervisor, recognised for keeping his apprentice on track and providing the guidance needed to succeed both on site and with theory.

 

Trade apprentice awards

Across the trade categories, the top winners showed what excellence looks like on real sites, under real pressure.

• Electrical apprentice of the year: Matt Symons

• Drainlaying apprentice of the year: Sam Jack

• Plumbing apprentice of the year: Dylan Jones

• Male apprentice of the year: Jacob Brothers

• Female apprentice of the year: Ruby Hustler

 

2026 award winners (recognising 2025 achievements)

Apprentice awards

Ashton Davey; Devin Thorpe; Hamish Dowdell; Kevin Vargas; Jay Morrison; Harley Webster; Matt Symons; Sam Jack; Dylan Jones; Jacob Brothers; Ruby Hustler; Jamie Dunn.

Supervisor awards

Darren Smith (Team Cabling Auckland); Alan Goodwin (Bassett Plumbing & Drainage Ltd).

Host business awards

Team Cabling Waikato; DBC Building Services Ltd; Up N Atom Electrical Ltd; Melray Electric Ltd.

KE KELIT internship recipient

Devin Thorpe.

 

Congratulations

To every winner and finalist, congratulations. To every employer investing time in training, and every apprentice doing the work day after day, thank you. Apprenticeships work best when apprentices, supervisors and host businesses pull in the same direction, and this night was a good reminder of that. It was also a great opportunity to bring our nationwide network together in one place and celebrate what is being achieved across the country. 

If you are a trade business interested in hosting an apprentice, or you are considering an apprenticeship yourself, ATT is here to support you through the journey.