Ara Supercharged Student Award 2023

Along with Ara Te Pūkenga, Cook Brothers Construction would like to congratulate Armani, Dylan and Zach who have received the 2023 Supercharged Carpentry Student Award. 

Aramani

"Armani studied at Ara Te Pūkenga from February until November of 2023 and successfully completed the Certificate in construction trades skills level 3. In recognition of exceptional dedication and hard work, Armani has been awarded the Super Charged Student Award. From day one, she has consistently showcased an exemplary work ethic and a keen eye for detail, trying her hand at each carpentry project with patience and dedication. Armani not only excels individually but has also emerged as a natural leader in the workshop, fostering an first rate attitude towards what it takes to be a carpenter that elevates the entire program.

This award is a testament to her outstanding contributions and sets a high standard for commitment and excellence in the field of carpentry. Congratulations to Armani on this well-deserved honour." 

Tim Burton, Carpentry Tutor Ara

Dylan 

"Dylan studied at Ara Te Pūkenga from February until November of 2023 and successfully completed the Certificate in construction trades skills level 3. From the first day of the pre-trade course, it was clear that Dylan had natural carpentry skills and that he was focused on his goal of becoming a carpenter and gaining an apprenticeship in the construction industry.

Dylan became a natural leader and quickly adopted the role of class foreman. Other students would often turn to him for direction when I was unable to give the time to assist them. It became a running joke whenever I had lost my keys as Dylan would often have them in his pocket. This was because every morning he would take the initiative to unlock the cupboards and get the tools out and batteries on charge and ready for the day.

Dylan was a quick learner. This attribute was mostly because he listened carefully to instruction, and as a result it was rare to have to re- explain anything to him. Punctuality was one of Dylan’s strong points. He was consistently 20 min early every day and it was uncommon for Dylan to miss a day on site. He was very conscientious with his studies as he was often the first to complete his portfolio and assessment material.

I have no doubt he will achieve highly within the construction industry. I look forward to tracking his progress as he achieves as a carpenter."   

Simon Blackburn,  Carpentry Tutor

Zach 

"I chose Zach for the supercharged award for several reasons.

• At the very start of the course Zach would always be asking questions not only for clarification but for the reasoning behind why we did certain things a certain way.
• He’s attitude towards the course was always inspiring to see, always on time and attendance was at a very high percentage rate, turned up with tool belt on and ready to go.
• Very rarely did I need to repeat instructions regarding a construction task to which he carried it out to the best of his ability and if it didn’t reach a standard I deemed not up to scratch, he had no problem in fixing it as long as I explained the reason.
• Zach always worked well in a group or alone. Would often be seen helping others and a lot of the times other students would approach him to ask for clarification about nailing patterns, placement, measurements etc
• As a tutor working alongside the group of students I would always be questioned by him around techniques or skills and could a task be done other ways. He was always bouncing ideas off me which I found very refreshing.

With these reasons mentioned above this is why I believed Zach should be in the running for the supercharged award."

Paddy Byrne | Carpentry Tutor