Southland award winning apprentice works side by side with son

Friday, 21 June 2019

Father and son building apprentices Corey Mennell, 44, left, and son Blake, 16, both of Riverton. The duo work for Kennedy Brothers Building.

It appears age is no barrier for taking out a title at a national apprentice competition.

Building apprentice Corey Mennell, 44, of Riverton, was the oldest competitor at the New Zealand Certified Builders Apprentice Challenge in Christchurch earlier this month where he won the Great Apprentice Race competition.

The race competition involved apprentices showcasing their skill and creativity by constructing and racing a wooden wheelbarrow.

One of the main reasons Corey entered the competition was so that his 16-year-old son Blake Mennell could follow in his footsteps, Corey said.

Blake started his apprenticeship this year so he would have another three years to compete in the challenge, he said.

Blake said helping his dad with home renovations and a gateway course at school got him into building.

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They both work for Kennedy Brothers Building but it had been up to Blake to find a job when he left school, Corey said.

'We said to our kids 'you can't leave school unless you got a job or a trade' and he went and got a apprenticeship.'

Lately the two have been working together because of the jobs they have been assigned, he said.

'As long as he doesn't whine I don't care.'

Blake was a hard worker and they manage to juggle the home and work life balance, he said.

Prior to starting his apprenticeship, Corey and his wife worked together in landscaping, so he was used to working with family, he said.

Corey become an apprentice after doing his own home renovations and having to get friends to sign off on the work, he said.

He asked the company that helped build his house for a part-time apprenticeship and that was what started the three year journey.

At the start, Corey kept his working his landscape business while working 25 to 30 hours doing building until he decided to take on the apprenticeship fulltime, he said.

It was always an ambition to become a builder the opportunity just come later in life, he said.

'Never say never and I'm 44.'

It had been about 28 years since he had to deal with course work but to get a trade it was worth it, he said.