When Thomas Hay completed his refrigeration and air conditioning apprenticeship through industry training organisation Competenz in 2018, he didn't see it as the finish line. He saw it as the beginning.

Today, Thomas leads the commercial refrigeration division at Auckland-based Total Refrigeration, overseeing quoting, system design and a team of technicians and apprentices. Along the way, he has completed the New Zealand Certificate in Business (Introduction to Team Leadership), is now working towards becoming an Independent Qualified Person (IQP), and plans to continue with further design accreditation.

His journey reflects a philosophy that has become embedded in the Silverdale business: apprenticeships are just the first step in building a career.

"We've always looked at an apprenticeship as the foundation," Thomas says.

"When someone qualifies, we sit down over lunch, celebrate what they've achieved, and then start talking about what's next. If there's training they want to do, we encourage them to come and talk to us and we'll make it happen."

That mindset starts at the top. As a family-owned business, Total Refrigeration has always viewed training as an investment in both the industry and its own future. Directors Richard O’Flaherty and Paul Grbich were apprentices themselves, and have long believed developing the next generation is part of every employer's responsibility.

"Richard has always said you can't complain there aren't enough qualified technicians if you're not doing your part to train them," Thomas says.

That philosophy has created a workplace where apprentices aren't simply expected to learn a trade - they're supported to build long-term careers.

As Total Refrigeration has grown, so too has its investment in apprentices and partnership with Competenz. Today, around five apprentices are employed at any one time, with the business deliberately recruiting in pairs where possible after discovering apprentices progress faster when they can support one another through their training.

"We had two apprentices qualify together and found they bounced ideas off each other and helped each other through the whole apprenticeship. We've tried to recreate that ever since."

The approach extends well beyond formal assessments. Senior technicians mentor younger staff on jobs, experienced team members are paired with apprentices, and learning continues long after the working day has finished.

When Thomas was completing his own apprenticeship, regular after-hours training sessions helped build confidence in diagnosing faults and understanding increasingly complex refrigeration systems.

"Richard would run workshop sessions after work where we'd go through pressure switches, controller settings and all sorts of technical topics.

"And even now, if someone gets stuck on a call-out late at night, he'll still answer the phone and talk them through it."

Thomas is continuing that tradition himself. Although his role is now largely commercial, he still enjoys coaching technicians through difficult diagnostics, helping apprentices develop their confidence and building practical training resources, including a refrigeration testing rig used by apprentices.

"One thing I've always enjoyed is teaching people and helping them understand what they're doing.

"I still get plenty of opportunities to help with diagnostics and support the younger technicians. That's one of the most rewarding parts of my job."

Ironically, leadership was never part of Thomas' original career plan.

As an apprentice, he imagined moving into refrigeration system design and engineering, believing management wasn't for him. That changed as he began leading larger installation projects, coordinating teams of tradespeople and apprentices, and discovered he enjoyed helping people succeed as much as solving technical problems.

Around the same time, conversations began within the business about leadership training.

"It all lined up naturally. I'd started looking at what training opportunities were available after my apprenticeship and the conversation about moving into management happened at around the same time. Doing the leadership qualification alongside stepping into the role just made sense."

Thomas is not the only example. Marine Refrigeration Manager Simon Waring also started his career at Total Refrigeration as an apprentice before progressing into leadership, reflecting a culture where apprenticeships are viewed not as the end of formal learning, but as the foundation for future technical, business and leadership development.

Thomas believes his apprenticeship continues to shape every decision he makes as Commercial Refrigeration Manager.

Whether matching technicians to the right projects, designing systems, preparing quotations or supporting field staff, he says there's no substitute for understanding the work firsthand.

"I honestly don't know how I'd do this job if I hadn't come through the tools. I know the jobs, I know the sites and I know where everyone's strengths are. You can usually tell from a job description who's going to need a bit more support or who'll be able to tackle it on their own."

Like many businesses across New Zealand, Total Refrigeration operates in a sector facing an ongoing shortage of experienced refrigeration technicians. Thomas believes investing in people is one of the most effective ways to retain staff while strengthening the business for the future.

"Staff retention is a huge part of it. When you invest in people, it shows you care about their future.

"But every time someone learns a new skill, you're also improving what the business can offer our customers. It builds more capability across the whole company."

Having worked alongside Total Refrigeration for many years, Competenz Training Advisor Rick Oliver has seen that culture first-hand.

"What sets Total Refrigeration apart is the way apprentices are genuinely supported. They're paired with experienced tradespeople who understand their role is to teach and mentor, not simply use apprentices as extra labour. Apprentices rotate through different types of refrigeration work to build broad technical experience, and if someone needs extra help, the company provides time, resources and one-on-one support to keep them progressing.

"It's a family business with a long history of investing in its people, and that culture shows in the number of qualified technicians who choose to build long-term careers there."

Looking back, Thomas says he would tell his younger self not to worry so much about having every step of his career mapped out.

"I thought my apprenticeship would take me in one direction, but opportunities came along that I never expected. It's a starting point, not an ending point."

For Total Refrigeration, that belief continues to shape every apprentice who walks through the workshop doors.

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