Hamilton’s Sam Donaldson completed a journey from being a bit of a problem at school, to being New Zealand’s top printing apprentice when he became Apprentice of the Year last Friday night.
Announced as the winner in front of over 600 people at the Pride In Print Awards at the Wellington Convention Centre, Donaldson had already been named PrintNZ Training screen printing apprentice of the year.
Sponsored by Agfa, CPI Graphics and Kodak, the apprentice of the year also includes top apprentices from binding and finishing, digital, paperboard packaging, reel-fed and sheet-fed to take the award.
Accepting his award, Donaldson explained that he had problems at school with dyslexia, and got into a little trouble. His journey to national recognition began through martial arts and his relationship with his instructor, Steve Wallace. Donaldson said, “Steve saw how I applied myself to that and how I was dedicated. Then he offered me a job with his company and expected me to show the same dedication to that. I fell in love with the job and I have never looked back. This shows what a person can achieve. You have to believe in yourself. With that belief, and the support of others, you can reach the top.”
He expressed gratitude to the people who helped him achieve, saying, “The amazing support and encouragement from the team that I work with has really helped me during my training and to win this award.”
Steve Wallace, manager Screen Printing Solutions stood on stage with Sam as he accepted the award. Wallace Said, “Sam’s attitude is a credit to him as he is constantly looking for ways to inspire and motivate his team.
When asked if he had any problems being both a boss and a martial arts instructor to Donaldson, Wallace replied, “Not at all – we spend 70 hours a week together and we get along really well. Sam has been promoted to production manager because of the great production times that he achieves and keeps beating. His planning is critical to our company’s success and he does incredibly in this area, not only meeting his own demands but setting goals and incentives for the other staff to aim towards and achieve. I couldn’t ask for a better employee.”
Announcing the awards, Joan Grace, chief executive PrintNZ Grace said that the finalists had shown a huge commitment not only towards their companies and their workmates, but to the learning process as well. She said, “PrintNZ is committed to a process of achievement for the future, and these apprentices represent the future of the industry.”
