Around 5% of New Zealanders have ADHD, but only an estimated 2.6% receive a diagnosis and treatment. In the construction sector, the gap between prevalence and recognition may be even wider: a British study found that approximately half of building sector workers are neurodivergent, suggesting that the trades attract a significant proportion of people whose brains are wired differently — for better and for worse in different contexts.
For apprentices with undiagnosed ADHD, the consequences of that gap can be significant. Difficulty retaining verbal instructions, challenges with sequential task management, and inconsistent performance under different conditions can all be misread as lack of effort or motivation, leading to frustration on both sides of the employer-apprentice relationship.
One Apprentice’s Experience
Liam Borren is a carpenter based in Napier who was diagnosed with ADHD at age 21, four years into an apprenticeship that had been difficult from the beginning. He describes the experience of forgetting words immediately after they were said to him — instructions from a supervisor or a specification from a drawing would simply not stick. That is not a motivation problem. It is a cognitive pattern that is common in ADHD, particularly when information is delivered verbally rather than in writing or through demonstration.
After his diagnosis and with support from BCITO advisor Andrey Sedgwick, Borren completed his apprenticeship in less than two years — significantly faster than the preceding four years of struggle. The difference was not in the quality of the work or the intelligence of the apprentice. It was in the approach: structured information, clear written instructions, and a support framework that worked with his brain rather than against it.
What Employers Can Do
Liam Borren’s message to employers is direct: those who understand neurodiversity get the best from their people. Practical accommodations for ADHD in a construction context are not complicated. Written task lists rather than verbal-only instructions, breaking complex tasks into clear sequential steps, regular check-ins rather than long independent periods, and patience with apparent forgetfulness all make a meaningful difference without requiring significant changes to how a site operates.
BCITO is developing resources to help employers and training advisors identify and support apprentices who may be struggling due to neurodivergence. Early identification, before years of difficulty have eroded an apprentice’s confidence, produces much better outcomes for both the individual and the business.
Explore more workforce development and training guidance from New Zealand’s construction sector, or connect with BCITO and other training organisations that can support apprentices and employers.
