On the tools from day one
Starting a new job can be a mix of nerves and excitement, especially when you're stepping into a hands-on trade. For 18-year-old apprentice X’Phia Johnson, her journey into collision repair was full-speed ahead, and she hasn’t looked back once.
X'Phia and Chris
“I put her straight into an apprenticeship because I don't believe in dangling the carrot—I believe in throwing people straight in the deep end,” says Chris Greaney, Director of City Collision Repairs in Napier.
And for X’Phia, that approach has paid off.
“Growing up in my family, my dad and granddad were always into the automotive stuff,” she explains. “It kind of just gave me the inspiration to step out there and give it a go.”
She was working in a coffee cart when a chance conversation with Chris’s dad, Roger, changed everything. “We started talking about MX-5s—I had one at the time—and he just gave me that little extra push I needed.”
“It isn't the easiest of things to just walk into a workshop,” says X’Phia. “I didn’t have any qualifications behind me—I didn’t go to EIT or anything. But Chris took a chance on me.”
Six months on, X’Phia’s become a standout at the shop.
“She's one of the best apprentices I’ve had here in the last 10 years as far as effort and attitude go,” says Chris. “She’s always here early and is one of the last to leave. She takes on way more than most people would at her stage. I’ve even had to tell her to go home sometimes!”
That drive is especially powerful in an industry that hasn’t always felt accessible to women. Chris is determined to change the outdated perception of the trade. “It’s always been a frustration of mine that this industry wasn’t seen as applicable to women. Having women in the workplace makes it a better workplace. We’ve got migrant workers, Kiwi workers, males, females—a big mix. That diversity strengthens the shop.”
X’Phia enrolled in MITO’s New Zealand Certificate in Collision Repair (Level 3 and 4) in 2024 and praises the combination of practical work and theory elements: “When you’re reading it and then get to do it physically, it gives you a better understanding. You actually remember it.”
“Every day is different. You’ve got to stay open-minded, face new challenges. But that’s what makes it fun.” Her favourite part? “Repairing something—after seeing it come in damaged—and knowing you’ve fixed it, and it leaves looking brand new.”
Chris makes an effort to train up apprentices and prepare the industry for the future. “I’m passionate about training because there’s such a payoff long term. There are lots of young people out there who are capable but don’t have the self-belief. You just need to get them in the door with the right attitude.”
He knows from experience—by 20, he was Apprentice of the Year and debt-free. “I owned my first home by the time I was 24 because we were all earning while we learned. Wages have increased dramatically. My top tradesmen earn very good money. It’s 40 hours a week, under a roof, paid well, and highly technical.”
As for X’Phia, she’s just getting started. “Right now, I’m focused on finishing my apprenticeship, and then will hopefully go into a painting and refinishing apprenticeship, just so I can have both of those qualifications if I ever want to open my own shop.”
Would she recommend it to others? “100%. Take it and don’t look back. It’ll be the best thing.”
