When Scott Fisher (27) signed up with the Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation (BCITO) a month ago, he had no idea he would become the poster boy for a major milestone.
The AJ Saville Builders employee told the Otago Daily Times he thought his boss was "winding me up'' when he told him he was number 10,000.
At a ceremony at Millbrook Resort's Mica Ridge development on Tuesday he was given a certificate to mark the milestone by BCITO chief executive Warwick Quinn.
Mr Fisher, originally from Invercargill, said he joined AJ Saville three months ago after spending five years in Perth.
Mr Quinn said the BCITO had 10,000 apprentices working towards building and construction qualifications for the first time in its history.
"With the demand for construction right around the country, it's pretty timely.''
The organisation, which is appointed by the Government to provide qualifications in 15 trades, had about 9000 apprentices on its books a decade ago, he said.
But that number almost halved during the Global Financial Crisis.
The centres most prone to the industry's "boom-bust'' cycle - Queenstown and Auckland - were now in a boom phase.
But because it took four years to train an apprentice, there was a lag in producing enough skilled tradespeople to cope with demand.
About 29,000 houses would be built in New Zealand this year, up from 13,000 four years ago, he said.
