For most of us, the idea of a building site probably conjures up a fairly predictable picture: hard hats, high-vis, power tools and, traditionally, a lot of men.
But that picture is changing.
Women still only make up just 3% of people working on the tools in New Zealand’s construction trades, but a new generation of female apprentices is quietly challenging the idea of what a Kiwi builder looks like.
Rotorua apprentice Georgia Rendall is one of them.
After finishing third in last year’s Master Builders CARTERS Apprentice of the Year competition for the Bay of Plenty & Hawke’s Bay, Georgia returned in 2026 and went one better, taking second place.
It’s an impressive result, but for Georgia, the real achievement has been everything that happened between the two competitions.
Learning to back herself
Starting an apprenticeship is a steep learning curve at the best of times. Add trying to find your feet in adulthood at the same time and there’s a lot to juggle.
“Starting an apprenticeship and trying to figure out adulthood at the same time can be quite the juggle,” Georgia says. “It’s a struggle all apprentices face.”
Last year’s competition result came as a surprise, particularly because she knew there were areas of her work – and herself – that still needed attention.
“I had a lot of things outside of work that were distracting me from my growth at work,” she says.
This time around, she approached things differently.
She knuckled down, listened more closely to the people around her and, perhaps most importantly, learned to recognise her weaknesses rather than simply putting mistakes down to bad luck.
“Trying to work on these, as well as growing my confidence, backing myself and keeping calm, I believe was a key part of my success.”
It sounds simple, but learning to face the things we’re not particularly good at can be one of the hardest parts of getting better at anything.
For Georgia, it became a turning point.
The best lessons happen on site
There is only so much you can learn from a textbook.
For Georgia, the real education has happened on site – including the moments when things haven’t gone according to plan.
“There is nowhere better to be than on site,” she says.
Over the past year, she’s been thrown into the deep end, running her own sites and taking responsibility for others. Some days she has “sunk”, while others she has swum.
And surprisingly, it’s the sinking moments that have taught her some of the biggest lessons.
“As awesome as the moments were when I succeeded, the moments I sunk were where I developed my skill set and learnt to mitigate problems before they arose.”
It’s a very real reminder that becoming good at something doesn’t happen overnight. You make mistakes, figure out how to fix them, try again – and gradually start recognising the problems before they happen.
Georgia has also discovered the value of the people around her.
“Listening and taking on board what others say is the best way to progress quickly,” she says. “They have made the mistakes you are yet to face, before you even begin to understand the task at hand.”
Her other secret weapon? Writing things down.
What started life as a simple diary of her work has become something much more valuable.
“My ‘diary’ quickly became my bible.”
Finding comfort in the uncomfortable
Walking onto a construction site as a young woman can be daunting, particularly when you’re surrounded by people who don’t necessarily look like you.
Georgia admits her first year was difficult.
“I had to learn to find ‘comfort in the uncomfortable’.”
One of her biggest concerns was the physical side of the job – especially keeping up with the boys in her crew.
But over time, she learned that strength on a building site isn’t simply about brute force.
Her body adapted. She learned different techniques for lifting and carrying, picked up tips from the people around her and discovered that there was a whole community of people who genuinely wanted to see her succeed.
That changed her perception of what it meant to be a woman in a traditionally male-dominated industry.
“You’re not as alone as you might think.”
More than just a job
Georgia says clients often love seeing women working on their sites, while the majority of the men she’s encountered in the industry have been supportive and keen to see her do well.
That support has come from all corners – her own team, suppliers, sub-trades and the many people she’s met along the way.
Of course, that doesn’t mean everything has been easy.
There have been moments when she’s felt out of place and questioned whether she was in the right industry. One of the biggest lessons has been recognising the importance of being in an environment where you can actually grow.
“What might be the right environment for you at one point in your career won’t necessarily always be,” she says.
It’s a lesson that applies well beyond construction.
Finding the right people, the right workplace and the right culture can make all the difference between simply getting through the day and actually flourishing.
For Georgia, it’s the relationships, the banter and the constant learning that keep her going.
“The support I’ve received from the people I’ve worked with and met through the industry is what keeps me going.”
Building more than houses
When Georgia began her apprenticeship, she had no idea quite how much the industry would teach her – and not just about building.
“The building industry hasn’t just shaped who I am on site, but who I am in everyday life as well.”
Taking part in the Apprentice of the Year competition and earning the respect of people within the industry has become one of the highlights of her apprenticeship.
And somewhere along the way, the girl who once worried about keeping up on site has become someone who can’t imagine doing anything else.
“I genuinely can’t see myself doing anything else.”
What’s next?
For now, Georgia is focused on completing her qualification, but she’s already thinking about what comes after.
She’d like to explore management studies in the future and keep the door open to opportunities in that area. But she isn’t ready to leave the tools behind just yet.
Staying on site and continuing to build her knowledge is important to her because, as she points out, even once you have a qualification, there is still plenty to learn.
And eventually, there’s an even bigger ambition.
Starting her own business is firmly on her bucket list.
With parents who own their own companies, Georgia has seen first-hand what can happen when you build something of your own. One day, she’d like to carve out her own path in the industry.
For now, though, she’s doing exactly that – one site, one lesson and one challenge at a time.
And perhaps that’s the most interesting thing about Georgia’s story.
Changing an industry doesn’t always happen with a grand gesture. Sometimes it looks like a young woman putting on her work boots, turning up on site, learning from her mistakes, backing herself a little more than she did yesterday – and proving, one job at a time, that she belongs there.
