Whitianga apprentice aged 17 impresses on the job and builds new future 8 Apr, 2021 11:44 PM 3 minutes to read LBG Builders owner Brett Goodger with Abbey Mills, 17, who was one of hundreds who left school in 2020 to become an apprentice. Photo / Supplied LBG Builders owner Brett Goodger with Abbey Mills, 17, who was one of hundreds who left school in 2020 to become an apprentice. Photo / Supplied NZ Herald New apprentice Abbey Mills is part of a wave of teenagers building a future by picking up the tools. The Whitianga 17-year-old signed up for an apprenticeship in November after a local builder approached her school looking for a hardworking student keen on a career in the trade.