There are four newly-qualified drinking water operators on the Chatham Islands thanks to a recent Connexis training and assessment trip.
As well as building local capability, with all four Chatham Island trainees successfully achieving their NZ Certificate Drinking Water Treatment (Level 4), the visit highlights Connexis’ strong commitment to developing skilled water operators in remote communities.
Expert assessor and respected water treatment specialist Marty Simpson travelled to the islands to complete final on-site assessments for the operators Latoya Hough, Bruce Winter, Russell Phillips, and Rikard Kamo. Their on-job practical, full-time experience at the Waitangi Water Treatment Plant on the Chatham Islands was supported by Connexis with structured learning, including workbooks, e-learning modules, and a block course delivered by WSP in Petone, Lower Hutt.
During their time on-course in mainland New Zealand, the group also visited leading facilities along the Kāpiti Coast, including Waikanae, widely regarded as a gold standard site for treatment plant operations.
It was a first trip to the Chatham Islands for assessor Marty and one that has left a strong impression.
“Supporting trainees goes beyond technical learning—it also means providing strong pastoral care to ensure they feel supported throughout their journey.”
“It’s really encouraging to see the momentum continuing. All four newly qualified operators are now progressing to the Level 4 Wastewater qualification, further strengthening their expertise,” he says.
The newly qualified operators, who have reached this professional milestone after several years working in the industry, say access to eLearning was important to their training success from a remote location like the Chatham Islands.
“When I first enrolled, I wasn’t that interested in a career in water, but the online course made it accessible and really got me engaged in the subject.
“Now that I’ve finished the course, we’re excited to progress into the wastewater learning programme and I’m keen to explore some of the Connexis plant operator courses too. Being so remote, the block course on the mainland was amazing, it gave us a chance to see bigger, more complex operations and processes than we have on the Chathams,” says Operator and Connexis learner Latoya Hough.
The thirst for learning is continuing at Chatham Island water with team manager, Shingy Torga, also enrolling in the NZC Drinking Water Treatment (Level 4), demonstrating strong leadership and a proactive commitment to ongoing professional development within the Chatham Islands team.
“The industry is evolving, and over the past two decades we’ve seen increasing diversity among trainees. The Connexis Drinking Water and Wastewater certificate and diploma qualifications are now widely recognised as a viable and rewarding career pathway, with strong opportunities for progression, including diploma-level study,” Marty says.
This successful training initiative on the Chatham Islands underscores the value of investing in local capability and highlights the collaborative efforts between Connexis and employers to ensure sustainable water management across Aotearoa New Zealand, even in its most remote communities.
For more information about water qualifications and career pathways, visit: https://connexis.org.nz/water-qualifications/
