Career reset pays off for ATT Apprentice of the Year

It was a brave call for Jamie Dunn to walk away from an accomplished career in hospitality management to pursue an entirely new direction at the age of 34.

Originally from the UK, Jamie and his partner first came to New Zealand on holiday in 2016. Seduced by the Kiwi lifestyle, they decided to build a life here, working in some of the country’s finest bars and restaurants for nearly ten years.

“I just decided I hadn’t enjoyed hospitality for a long time and I wanted to do something else,” Jamie said. “I decided to go back to studying and electrical stood out for a few reasons. It was a bit daunting – starting again in one of New Zealand’s most expensive towns – but if you know what you want and what you’re working towards, that’s just the sacrifice you have to make.”

The decision paid off. Jamie powered through his training and completed his assessments well before time. Described by his manager as one of the most motivated and switched-on apprentices on the team, Jamie was awarded the 2025 ATT Apprentice of the Year.

“I just identified that I wasn’t going to be given the jobs I wanted unless I had the knowledge. So I used that to fire myself along and keep going. You want to get it finished, you want the pay rise, you want the responsibility and you want to feel like an actual tradesman.”

Like anyone, Jamie was a little daunted by the exam component of his training, so it was an emotional moment when he passed his final exam. “I was close to tears when they told me I passed it. I was so happy. I thought maybe I’d just scrape through but ended up getting 82%. I was overwhelmed, couldn’t believe it – it was a beautiful moment.”

Jamie speaks highly of his host employer, Aotea and his ‘biggest cheerleaders’, the team at ATT (part of the IntoWork Group), who played a key role in supporting his apprenticeship journey. Jamie says there are always times where you need a bit of guidance and he couldn’t have asked for better support. Being awarded ATT Apprentice of the Year was a bonus he never expected.

“It’s always lovely to be recognised and rewarded for all the hard work,” he said. “This can be such a rewarding career. You just need to know it’s actually something that you really want to do and then commit to it and do your best. Show people what you’re about.”

For now, Jamie is happy to continue his work with Aotea while also looking ahead to what’s next. Clearly determined, there seems no doubt that Jamie is destined for bigger things – whether that’s work in Antarctica, working in off-grid environments or for industrial projects further afield.

“The responsibility and the trust that my team has shown me is what really motivates me to do well. I want to do a good job, I want to show that I can do well because I want to be offered the bigger, better projects. I want to go to the cool places and do the best jobs and you only get that by proving yourself and being the person who says ’yes’.”