Zachary Fitzgerald-Geddes won the commercial/residential section and will also be among the contenders for the challenge’s national finals, to be held in Nelson in October.
Thirty apprentices took part in the Otago event, held in Dunedin on Monday.
This was the second of 10 apprentice challenge preliminary contests being fought out throughout the country, after Invercargill last week.
Only the top five national performers in each of the two sections qualify for the finals.
‘‘It’s not the winners that go through, it’s the top five scores throughout the country that go through to the finals,’’ Otago Master Electricians president Matthew Munro said.
The contest started at 7.30am on Monday and ran for about 10 hours, during which technical performance over four modules, including wiring and lights and switches, was scrutinised.
Mr Munro, who is also the Otago contest co-ordinator, said Otago had built a strong record of national-level performances in the challenge, often reaching the finals.
Last year’s Otago domestic/ commercial winner Lindsay Froggatt also won the national contest in that section.
In his role as contest coordinator and judge, Mr Munro took a good deal of satisfaction in watching apprentices gain in confidence through pitting themselves against the demands of the challenge.
‘‘There’s plenty of benefits.
‘‘They can gauge themselves, how well they cope under pressure. They can gauge themselves against their peers.
‘‘It helps people grow.’’
