The Apprenticeship Awards Ceremony was established in 1978 by the late Jim Callinicos who was the second president of the club and former president of the Motor Trades Association.

Jim saw the need to recognise the achievements of these young people and as a result this annual graduation ceremony was established. Each year students and apprentices in Automotive, Carpentry, Electrical, Engineering, Hairdressing and Hospitality receive their certificates of achievement.

rotaryEmployers and representatives of the various trades sponsor prizes for the highest achievers and WineWorks are pleased to sponsor the Top Student Overall EIT Certificate in Electrical Trades for outstanding achievement during the full-time Electrical Trades Programme and the Top Student Overall EIT Certificate in Engineering Trades Programme to recognise excellence in the pre-apprenticeship programme covering welding, machinery and fabrication.

To formalise their ongoing commitment, WineWorks have taken steps to secure the prize funding in perpetuity. To do this, they have established a fund within the Hawke’s Bay Foundation, which will generate an annual income to cover the required amount.

So why did we decide that this was the way to go? WineWorks Hawke’s Bay’s Plant Manager, Steve White, explains that “this new arrangement brings the perfect element of simplicity for Wineworks and removes any funding uncertainties or ‘mission creep’ in terms of what future managers of the business might think they can afford. In short it requires our company to permanently consider that community support is a ‘non-negotiable’ way in which we operate.”