Wellington Sign Writer First to Complete Digital Signage Apprenticeship Strand
A Wellington sign writer has made industry history by becoming the first person in New Zealand to officially qualify in the Digital Signage strand of the sign making apprenticeship since its introduction.
Jackson Brattle of Dzine Signs (winner of the 2024 Keith Langtone Highflyer Award) is the only apprentice nationwide to undertake and complete the Digital Signage module, marking a significant milestone for both his own career and the wider sign industry. The Digital Signage strand focuses on producing digital signage promotion using digital signage hardware, networking systems, and content production and management software.
Jackson’s employer and father, Dustin Brattle, says the achievement reflects both Jackson’s technical ability and his willingness to take on new and emerging areas of the trade.
“We are extremely proud of Jackson being the only apprentice to undertake this module,” Dustin says. “He spent his first few years in the workforce completing an electrical apprenticeship, so working with LED screens is a natural extension of his skill set. He meets directly with clients and carries out inductions so they can confidently control their systems. He also runs CNC and welding, meaning he can take a frame and enclosure from concept through to completion himself. For a final term apprentice, that is pretty incredible.”
Dustin says Jackson’s broad skill set is already delivering real value to Dzine Signs and strengthening the business’s digital signage capability.
“We are proud to have Jackson here as our LED specialist and we are excited to see where he can take this sector of the business in the future.”
For Jackson, the decision to undertake the Digital Signage strand was a practical one.
“I saw it as a good module that aligned well with my electrical skills,” he says.
Learning that he was the only apprentice in the country to complete the strand came as a surprise.
“I honestly thought more shops were doing LED work. I assumed more apprentices would be taking it.”
Jackson believes the limited uptake so far reflects the size and structure of many sign businesses.
“Most sign shops are smaller, so there is less opportunity to do LED signage in house. A lot of businesses import screens and use larger suppliers to build frames and handle programming.”
Since completing the strand, Jackson has become the go to person for LED signage at Dzine Signs. He assembles and programs screens, manages installations and supports clients with both software and physical troubleshooting.
“I look after all LED signage in the factory,” he says. “I also help clients when issues come up, whether that is software related or physical.”
The qualification has opened new possibilities for his future.
“It means I will keep pushing further into LED and stay at the front of new products and digital platforms. These skills could take me further within the sign industry or even back into the electrical trade. Either way, they are valuable.”
His experience highlights the growing importance of digital capability within sign making and the opportunities available to apprentices willing to step into emerging areas of the trade.
