NZME Print Ellerslie print finishing (reel fed) trainee Navdeep Sidhu has been named the winner of the DS Chemport-sponsored 2015 Single Width Users’ Group (SWUG) Apprentice of the Year Award.
Having commenced at NZME (formerly known as APN Print) as a casual operator in the prepress department in July 2004, Sidhu began his apprenticeship on January 2 last year and is on target for completion ahead of the original May 31, 2017 time frame.
Sidhu says the apprenticeship has widened his knowledge of both his own and other facets of the printing trade. “I count these opportunities as stepping stones moving further towards a successful career,” he adds.
NZME Print Ellerslie operations manager Russell Wieck says Sidhu’s positive attitude, quality of workmanship and mechanical capabilities immediately impressed everyone. “He was rewarded for these attributes with a part-time position in the post press department in April 2005 before stepping up to a full-time role as an operator in July 2006.”
“Navdeep waited patiently for a number of years honing his skills until the opportunity of an apprenticeship became available. He was an obvious candidate for the position and he impressed even further during the interview process en route to being the successful applicant,” says Wieck.
“Navdeep has a very strong passion for learning and is using the training delivered under the apprenticeship system to add to his very strong mechanical aptitude. He is well on the path to becoming an outstanding tradesperson as a result of this dedication and commitment.”
The challenge of completing an adult apprenticeship while being a devoted family man has made his resolve to be successful that much stronger. “I consider myself a lifelong learner, who has high morale, values and ethics with a get-along attitude, which is necessary for an organisation to grow,” Sidhu explains.
In addition to running the Ellerslie plant’s Saturday night shift in a supervisory role as required, Sidhu has recently taken on extra responsibilities as fire warden and occupational health and safety representative.
“Always reliable, punctual and extremely flexible, Navdeep has excellent organisational skills and relishes the chance to plan shifts or suggest better work practices,” notes Wieck. “His commitment to his apprenticeship and his role as an operator is exactly what an employer looks for in an employee and he is a very important member of the staff at NZME Print Ellerslie. We are lucky to have such a fine person in our team.”