Josh Arnold

Working with a welder in an automotive course sparked a passion within Josh Arnold, enabling him to realise a fulfilling career. As a Mount Maunganui College student Josh completed an automotive course through the Toi Ohomai Secondary Tertiary Programme. Although he admits that cars weren’t really his thing, he says that working with a welder “sparked” something in him.  

Josh went on to complete a National Certificate in Engineering and recently, was the first Toi Ohomai ākonga to graduate from the New Zealand Certificate in Engineering Fabrication (Level 4) - Managed Apprentices (Heavy Fabrication strand). 

After completing his National Certificate in Engineering, Josh landed a role at Domett, a company specialising in designing and manufacturing truck and trailer units but in 2021, Josh identified the need to further his qualifications in order to take the next step in his career. 

He returned to Toi Ohomai to study the New Zealand Certificate in Engineering Fabrication (Level 4) (Heavy Fabrication strand) – Managed Apprenticeship which he was able to do while still working at Domett. Due to his work history and past qualifications, he was able to hit the ground running and go straight into year two of the programme. 

At Domett Josh started as a profiler then worked his way through various roles with trailers, aluminium bins, service and repairs. One major part of the work he did was the chassis for Fonterra trucks. Josh also held a leadership role there which was a big learning curve. 

“I had to manage people including people older than me. I had a few challenging moments where I had to just be patient and stay calm.”

Domett has supported several Toi Ohomai students as they complete their apprenticeships.       

Several months ago, Josh moved to Marsh Engineering Services where he completed his apprenticeship. 

“I moved there because I could see the opportunity to try new things and further myself.

“It’s been great working with my boss Bradley, seeing how he operates and how he’s building his business. I feel like I can learn a lot from him.” 

His role at Marsh Engineering Services sees Josh taking care of many forms of transport engineering including trucks, trailers, new builds, trailer repairs for COFs, and building draw beams and draw bars.

“Everything needs to be done right to pass Australian and New Zealand standards which gets assessed by certifiers. When it comes to transport, safety is really important.”  
Support from Toi Ohomai was valued by Josh as he completed his apprenticeship. 

“It was awesome being able to come here. I could come into the workshop and complete any tasks that couldn’t be done in the workplace. I had heaps of help. Wherever I struggled there was always someone here to give me a hand and point me in the right direction.”

Toi Ohomai Academic Leader Bruce McQueen says the engineering team is proud of Josh’s achievements and where it could lead him. 

“Having this qualification under his belt will open doors. Josh has done very well to continue the momentum while changing employers and completing his on-job training. He took the right steps, going straight into relevant work after studying and then returning to get the job done.”  

Josh is enjoying his chosen career pathway and where it could lead. 

“For now, I’m going to keep building on my experience and see where it takes me. Who knows, maybe one day run my own business. I’m always looking to see how I can further myself. I’m not sure where that is yet but I’m sure I’ll find out.”

For anyone interested in enrolling for The New Zealand Certificate in Engineering Fabrication (Level 4) - Managed Apprentices (Heavy Fabrication strand) learn more here.