An apprentice builder who won the Tauranga regional heat of the New Zealand Certified Builders Apprentice Challenge annual Apprentice Challenge is encouraging others to enter future events.

Jared Menzies competed against five fellow apprentices on April 1 and came out on top.

The challenge was to construct a child's fort in eight hours. Jared completed the task with two hours to spare.

'I spent so much time at the end sanding it down that the judges asked me to stop because I was filling the room with dust,” laughs Jared.

'I started wondering why the others were taking longer, but the prep and homework I did ahead of time really paid off and put me out in front.”

The 22 year-old now goes on to represent Tauranga against 19 other apprentices at the nationals in Christchurch at the end of May and believes the experience makes him a better builder all round.

'Having to analyse what you're doing and having people watch really closely makes you more conscious of how you're learning and what you're doing on the job.”

Jared comes from a family of builders – his father and brothers are in the industry – and he's worked for Paul James Builders for more than two years.

Winning apprentice Jared Menzies with boss Paul James on their current worksite. Photo: John Borren.

'Jared shows a lot of aptitude on the building site. He's going to go a long way,” says boss Paul James.

'He's a thinking builder. He asks questions and suggests different ways to do things. He's not just coming to work to eat his lunch.”

It's no surprise to Paul that Jared took out the top spot in the challenge.

'I've judged other competitions and seen entrants crumble under the pressure or not do enough homework ahead of construction day,” says Paul.

'You've got judges looking over your shoulder at your maths, accuracy of your angles and economical use of materials and even the condition of your tools and whether you're working in a safe manner.

'It's made to be similar to a real-life construction site so those who enter are eager to do well in the building industry.”

The forts built by the apprentices will be auctioned off via TradeMe with all proceeds going to KidsCan and Cyclone Gabrielle Relief.

Tauranga's top apprentice Jared Menzies with his winning fort. Photo: Supplied.