Taranaki engineering apprentice says his farm fix-it skills helped him trump in Lyon

New Zealand’s first-ever WorldSkills competitor in refrigeration and air conditioning (RAC) has excelled on the global stage, bringing home a Medallion of Excellence and the Best in Nation medal.

Jack Butler, a newly qualified Competenz apprentice and engineer at Active Refrigeration, proved his skills at the 47th WorldSkills International Competition in Lyon. The competition, recognised as the pinnacle of skills excellence, hosted over 1,400 talented young people from nearly 70 countries who competed across 59 trade and vocational skill areas.

Jack rose to the challenge in this high-pressure environment, performing complex tasks that included installing and piping key components like condensing units and wall-mounted evaporators, diagnosing and repairing electrical and AC faults, and fabricating a copper sub-cooler with expert precision. Jack’s impressive performance showcased New Zealand’s talent on the world stage, earning him a Medallion of Excellence for scoring above seventy percent.

“The whole experience was incredible and beyond what I could ever imagine,” says the Urenui 20-year-old. “Meeting people from around the world and seeing where we stand compared to the rest was a real highlight. It was really cool to see that we, as New Zealanders, are in the top end of our trade.”

Described as “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Jack spent 12 months training for the event, building his competition skills at the Wallie Askew 2023 regional and national competitions - placing 1st and 2nd consecutively and securing his spot for Lyon - and earlier this year at the WorldSkills Australia Global Skills Challenge in Melbourne, where he took out silver.

“I was lucky enough to have Active Refrigeration backing and supporting me the whole journey and pushing me to do my best, putting me through any training I needed and building replica training units from past WorldSkills competitions.”

Events like this are close to the heart of Jack’s boss William Lovell. He, too, has achieved success in the Wallie Askew Memorial RAC Workskills Competition and is a big fan of the benefits they bring.

“Competitions are a great opportunity to put your skills to the test against fellow apprentices and a way to advance in skillset and personal development,” says William, who accompanied Jack to Lyon and described the opportunity as a career highlight.

“I can’t even explain how proud I am of Jack. From what I’ve seen him achieve in the past four years, I can only imagine how far he will go in the industry.”

William believes Jack’s dedication, enthusiasm, and interest in embracing new challenges set him apart in the sector.

”He has a Kiwi can-do attitude and is always looking forward to how he can further progress his career. What impresses me most is his attention to detail and his willingness to always improve and progress in his skillset.”

Competenz Training Advisor Angus Ryburn was part of the team that saw Jack gain his apprenticeship qualification, and he reckons Jack is a perfect fit for the sector.

“Jack is cool-headed and even-tempered. This allows him to logically deal with and work through the requirements of whatever challenges he faces,” says Angus. “He’s not driven by ego, but a desire to do the right thing by the team and customer and get the job done safely, timely and effectively. A future leader for sure.”

That’s music to Jack’s ears. Why? Because he can’t imagine doing anything else.

“I was brought up on a farm where my dad always had a project in the shed, so from a young kid, I’ve always been keen on building things and pulling things apart to see how they work,” explains Jack.

“Growing up, I wanted to be an engineer but soon realised I didn’t want to be stuck in a workshop all day doing the same thing. At high school I was given the chance to do work experience with Active Refrigeration and have never looked back. Within our trade, there’s so much variety – one day, you’ll be Tig welding stainless pipe; the next, you’ll be fault finding electrical, and the next, you’re servicing refrigeration equipment.

“Every day is different, and that’s the best part of the job.”

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