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October 28, 2025
Papakura’s Amanpreet Singh has turned his childhood passion into an award-winning career, earning national recognition as the country’s top maintenance engineering apprentice for 2025.
The 38-year-old was honoured at the Maintenance Engineering Society of New Zealand (MESNZ) Award dinner, where he took out the prestigious Stuart Tolhurst Memorial Award - an accolade which places him firmly at the forefront of his field. A maintenance technician at Apex Engineering Services, Amanpreet considers the win “a career highlight” and says it has given him “a real boost in confidence”.
“Winning this award means so much to me both personally and professionally because it’s validation for all the hard work, commitment and learning I’ve put in throughout my apprenticeship,” says Amanpreet, who is currently completing his New Zealand Certificate in Mechanical Engineering (Trade) (Level 4) through Competenz.
“It was a proud moment because it recognises not just my technical progress but also the effort I’ve put into learning, problem solving and contributing to the team.”
Competenz Training Advisor William Malloy describes Amanpreet as “a dream apprentice” who has gone above and beyond throughout his apprenticeship.
“Amanpreet is easily the strongest Year 3/4 maintenance apprentice I’ve worked with,” says William. “He has stayed well ahead of target throughout his training and progressed so quickly that we’ve had to manage his credits to avoid running out of units before he completes his hours!”
Prior to his engineering apprenticeship, Amanpreet studied for a masters in business administration. But now he’s doing what he really loves - and getting paid for it.
“I’ve always been fascinated by how machines function. Even when I was a child I enjoyed dismantling gadgets to find out how they worked. An apprenticeship is one of the best ways to gain real hands-on experience while also building strong technical knowledge and qualifications. One of the biggest highlights has been gaining practical experience with a wide range of equipment and systems, working on everything from pumps, gearboxes and conveyors to hydraulics and pneumatics.”
The most rewarding part of the job? “Knowing that my work has a direct impact on keeping operations running smoothly and safely. When machines break down people depend on me to solve problems quickly, and get things back up and running.”
Since joining Apex Engineering Services in 2018, Amanpreet has become an indispensable member of the team – in fact his manager Rizwan Ali gives him a glowing five-stars for everything from his work ethic, work quality and initiative to his attitude, leadership skills and long-term potential in the industry.
“Amanpreet is receptive to feedback, open to new ideas and consistently seeks opportunities to improve his skills,” says Rizwan. “He stands out from other learners due to his strong work ethic and eagerness to learn, he applies new skills effectively and takes initiative in his tasks. His positive attitude and reliability make him a valuable team member.”
Developing emerging talent like Amanpreet is a key priority for Rizwan, who understands from firsthand experience the impact that training and investing in people can have on strengthening business capability and shaping future leaders. And he’s not alone. Hamilton-based Precision Projects & Maintenance Ltd also places a strong emphasis on workforce development, with their apprentice mechanical fitter Daniel Tasker named runner-up for the Stuart Tolhurst Memorial Award. It was a proud moment for the Glen Afton 28-year-old.
“This recognition means that all my hard work has been seen by others, and it makes me proud of all I have achieved so far,” says Daniel, who works primarily on the coal generation units at the Huntly Power Station. For someone who has spent a lifetime “tinkering with cars, bikes and anything I could get my hands on,” it’s pretty much a dream job.
“I love all the opportunities my apprenticeship has given me to work on unique machinery and learn new skills as I go along. It’s not always easy juggling work, study, and other projects, but it’s all worth it.”
As the annual Stuart Tolhurst Memorial Award continues to spotlight the next generation of engineering talent, Amanpreet and Daniel’s stories are a reminder that the future of the industry lies in skilled, motivated individuals driven not just by what they can build - but by how they can grow.
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