Profession Nailed Down

20 September 2008

MICHAEL Thompson, the MBA's Apprentice of the Year, was destined to be a "chippie".

His father now a director of Gosford-based North Constructions was a carpenter.

As a young boy Michael watched and appreciated his father's skills. And he learned from them.

More than that he vowed that one day he too would be in the construction industry.

Working with timber is something Thompson junior has always enjoyed.

As a youngster he said he was "always building things".

The passion continued throughout his school years with timber furniture design and construction featuring during his HSC studies.

It was only when he left school that he faced anything approaching a quandary whether to pursue architecture or other indoors work or to opt for project construction and contend with the forces of nature.

The latter won.

Now 21, Mr Thompson is a third-year apprentice carpenter employed by North Constructions on worksites anywhere from the Central Coast to the Hunter.

He is also in his first year of a Certificate IV in Building through TAFE.

And therein lies a tale.

"When I first heard about the Apprentice of the Year award I wasn't sure about the procedure involved," Mr Thompson said.

"I was informed that I'd been nominated and I was really pleased to hear that the nomination had been made by one of my TAFE teachers.

"He'd actually put two names forward.

"I went through the interview process and I was really surprised and pleased to learn that I had won.

"This really is huge."

Coincidently one of the projects Mr Thompson has worked on was an MBA category winner.

North Constructions won the Commercial Project over $20 million category for the Avondale Retirement Village at Cooranbong.

The village is a 122-bed aged-care facility offering both high- and low-dependency care across a three-level building.

Judges said the builder had worked with the clients to significantly reduce the overall completion price and, at the same time, making certain that the high standards of inclusions and finishes were not compromised.

Their consensus was that the builder achieved a building which, although quite large, still maintained the "village feel" of the estate.

"A high-quality finish is evident, whilst at the same time presenting an aesthetically pleasing 'human scale' modern, purpose-specific building," they said.


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