But what he hadn’t considered before starting with the company’s Taumarunui depot is that for a line mechanic, ‘outside’ can mean being up in the hills, in a helicopter, or up a pole in the middle of the bush.

“I hadn’t thought about some of the places you work in,” says Wiremu. “You only really see the power lines on the side of the road or going into houses. You don’t tend to think about the ones that run a few kilometres into the hills.”

It all adds up to a job Wiremu loves.

His passion has translated into recognition, and in 2021 he was named Distribution Trainee of the Year at the Connexis Industry Excellence Awards. The awards honour the best and brightest trainees in the energy and telecommunications sectors, as well as those who support them.

In fact, Wiremu is no stranger to working outside. Not even the heights involved in his work phase him. For several years, he worked as a scaffolder in Australia.

When he decided to move home with his family to Taumarunui, where he grew up, Wiremu wanted a job that would let him spend more time with his family.

“When I was scaffolding in Australia, I’d be away for six weeks and then home for seven nights. Now I can spend a lot more time with the family, and be home every night,” he says.

Being a line mechanic has had benefits for Wiremu beyond that too, enabling him to work towards a qualification and be recognised for his skills. He is currently working towards the New Zealand Certificate in Electricity Supply (Line Mechanic Distribution) Level 4 through a Connexis-developed programme.

The other aspect of his job that Wiremu loves is the camaraderie that comes from working with a crew of guys he knows well. There are four people in his crew; three who are qualified and Wiremu, who is still working towards his apprenticeship. He says they all look out for each other when they’re on the job.

“It’s not enough for just my two eyes to be looking out for me. If there’re four of you on a crew, that’s another three sets of eyes that’s looking out for you.”

Being a trainee means Wiremu learns a lot from both from the guys in his crew and the wider team back at the depot. He sees the value in learning from the experience, knowledge and skills of those around him. His advice to other trainees is to “take it all in”.

“Listen to everything people are saying and have the courage to ask questions if you don’t understand something.”

Outside of work, Wiremu spends his time fishing and hunting, and taking on his workmates at golf.

The post ‘Working outside’ takes on new meaning for line mechanic trainee appeared first on Connexis | Infrastructure Training.

She was also one of the first to get qualified with her NZ Certificate in Electricity Supply (Cable Jointing High Voltage) under the Ultimit – Women in Infrastructure initiative; launched by Connexis in 2011 to encourage women into the Electricity Supply Industry (ESI).

Nine years down the track, Robyn, now based in Auckland, is still working in the ESI and still with Northpower. She has recently taken a “step up” in her career, becoming a Design Estimator for larger projects including subdivisions.

Her entry into the sector was as a trainee “linesman” in Dargaville, when she saw a job advertised in the Northern Advocate, specifically requesting that women apply. Having struggled to find work in Northland despite having an IT degree, she decided to apply after a nudge from her dad.

“IT seemed pretty saturated at the time. You don’t have that issue in this industry.”

Her father was the one who finally convinced her, reassuring her that she could always leave if she was not enjoying it.

Instead, she found her passion. Not high above the ground on the overhead powerlines, but as a cable jointer, responsible for maintaining underground cables.

“I thought there were more opportunities in cable jointing, plus I was scared of heights and I just never got over that,” Robyn says.

“I prefer to have my feet on the ground.”

Female cable jointers are still quite rare but Robyn says she has never had issues with any of the men she works with.

“They treat you just the same; you’re just one of them. They call me ‘sis’.

“I think it helps that I just treat everyone the same. And I’ve never had a problem getting covered in dirt on the job or stuck in.”

Robyn says it can be funny confounding people’s gender expectations. She tells a story about working on a roadside transformer box.

“When I stepped out this drunk lady said: ‘Holy shit, you’re a woman! Good on you girl.’.”

All the same, Robyn says it does help knowing other women in the field who can provide support and she can have a “bitch and a cry” with. She says those women have become amazing friends.

These days, estimating pricing for larger connection projects, Robyn splits her time 80:20 between being in the office and out in the field. Though she has been in the ESI for several years now, she says there are still barriers to women entering the trades.

“It does need a bit of shake-up. Women are more than capable but…they go to uni instead because they haven’t even heard about trades,” she says.

That is a shame she says, because many of the men she has worked with see the benefits of having more women on the job.

“They say they’re nicer to work with, more detailed and less messy on the job, and they balance out a crew,” she says.

Robyn would love to see more women enter the industry going forward.

“The wages are good. You just have to be able to laugh at yourself and don’t take things too seriously. And you have to be prepared to start at the bottom and work your way up.”

The post Paving the way for women in power appeared first on Connexis | Infrastructure Training.

Planning a career switch from the farming industry, Madison commenced an application for beauty therapy training. So, becoming a line mechanic might seem like a big leap, but Madison Harvey has never looked back.

Now aged 22, Madison is a qualified line mechanic with Electra, based in Horowhenua. When she left school, she was working as a Farm Manager. Her career took a left turn when she was accepted for enrolment in a beauty therapy course, having already gained a ticket in eyelash extensions. However, a conversation with a friend who was a line mechanic with Electra took her off course yet again.

“He was just talking about what he did for his job, and I was quite intrigued. Thinking ‘I could get into that’”, says Madison. A job opening came up, Madison applied, and the rest is history.

Madison has now been with Electra for four years and has been a qualified line mechanic for over a year, having completed her NZ Certificate in Electricity Supply (Line Mechanic Distribution) Level 4.

Electra is New Zealand’s ninth largest lines company, covering the Kāpiti-Horowhenua region. It is this year’s host sponsor of Annual Connection, the three-day celebration of the Electricity Supply Industry run by Connexis.

Being the only female line mechanic at the company had some challenges initially, from what to do when you need to go to the toilet onsite, to building up her physical strength. But, she says, all along the way her male co-workers were supportive and encouraging.

“You are a bit shy when you start, so it would have been nice to have had another woman there to ask about some things, but in the end, you work it out for yourself,” she says.

When it came to building up her physical strength Madison credits her crew with letting her pace herself and helping her build her confidence.

“If I was initially finding something hard, they would really encourage me, telling me I was nearly there and to keep going. There was no-one being impatient or telling me to hurry up.

“I grew up farming, so I was pretty ‘farm fit’ but you still have to really do the job to get ‘job fit’. It only took me a month or two to build up the correct strength and fitness for this job”, she says.

“The first time I went up the pole I actually pulled up a cross arm [a heavy metal bar used for supporting electricity conductors]. I think that was one of the best things, because it really gave me the confidence that I could do it. But there was never any pressure that I had to do something.”

Madison is also famous at her depot for her organisational skills. She made it her mission to tidy up the trucks, so tools and equipment are easier to find, especially for trainees who are still learning.

“When you’re a trainee, someone asks you to find something like an HD14, but you don’t always know what it is. I was opening every drawer trying to find something that said HD14.

It was pretty hectic. But I fixed that. I went through all the trucks labelling and organising everything.”

Subsequent trainees have said her system helps them progress faster because they can identify equipment more easily.

These days Madison describes working with her all-male workmates as “fun and entertaining”. She also loves the variety her job offers, especially the chance to work outside and work in different locations.

“It’s kind of a lifestyle, rather than just a job.”

Madison is committed to a career in the Electricity Supply Industry and is excited by the opportunities and choices it offers.

“There are so many jobs I want to get into. It’s actually really hard to make a decision,” she says.

“I have been given so many opportunities at Electra.

In the short-term Madison is keen to experience working in the Control Room and has her eye on “giving Live-lining a go”. But in the meantime, she’s always looking for new training and learning opportunities.

“Once I finish something I get a bit fidgety. I always need to find something new to keep me going. I like to be learning.”

Her advice to anybody considering becoming a trainee in the industry is “just go for it!”.

“You’ll work with so many interesting people and you’ll meet a team of people on the block courses that you progress through your training with that you will become good mates with.”

Madison’s advice for any woman considering a career in the sector is to not be intimidated.

“It might feel a bit daunting at first, but you overcome the challenges and figure out the guys are fun to work with.”

The post It’s kind of a lifestyle, rather than just a job appeared first on Connexis | Infrastructure Training.

The Auckland based 30-year-old stepped outside the traditional career box for women to begin with by becoming a domestic electrician and now works for Electrix in energy supply where women are even more scarce. “I’ve been qualified as an electrician for 4 years now and started off working in domestic houses.  I applied for the Electrix role by chance after the business I was working for closed down.

“I never thought I’d do this sort of work but I absolutely love it.  I’ve gained so many skills that I’d never imagined I’d have, as a female it’s a very rewarding and a confidence building experience.”

Tara’s interest in becoming an electrician stems back to her school days but due to the lack of information and guidance for women into this career path she waived it aside for a while. “I returned from my O/E, had no qualifications and was working in an office I hated it.  Some of my male friends had become builders and plumbers and loved it.  So I decided to become an electrician.  It appealed that I wouldn’t be stuck inside in an office all day and there was a good mix of ‘hands on’ work.”

The road forward in her chosen career wasn’t easy to begin with though for Tara but she persevered.  Tara felt that she wasn’t being taken seriously after being turned down for two apprenticeship jobs she applied, so she took a different approach.  “I decided to do my theory first so I studied full time for a year to get all my theory credits, which isn’t the way you usually do it, but it worked, and once I had that completed I was offered my first job as an electrician.

“I was the only female in the class.  I even got asked by one the guys doing the course if I was sure I was in the right place! I replied if this is the class for electricians, then yes I am. Even now people often think I’m an apprentice, but I’m not I’m fully qualified.”

While females don’t often choose an electrician as a career, it’s even rarer for women to be working in a distribution setting.  Tara’s day-to-day work involves working on housing sub-divisions installing underground cabling, which is then linked to the likes of transformers and underground pits to supply houses.

“We’ve just finished working on a massive shut down in Mt Roskill, there were 60 staff from Electrix there. We’d been working on transferring from overhead electricity supply to underground.  The day came when we changed it over, it was such an incredible environment, great to be involved and to see months of work finally put to the test,” Tara says.

The mother of one says that she loves being in distribution and wouldn’t go back to domestic work.  “There is so much to learn, every day I learn something new and challenge myself. I found it a bit daunting to start with but I work with an amazing team who are very supportive.

“As a team we’re good at working with each other’s strengths, as a female I obviously have physical limitations when it comes to heavy lifting.  If it’s too heavy for me one of the team doesn’t mind stepping in for me, I then do some of the paperwork so it all works out in the end.  The team environment is really empowering.”

Tara says that working in a mostly male environment has its challenges but her confidence is growing and is continuing to grow.  “I’d never picked up the likes of a drill before and I had to learn with all the eyes on me watching, it was hard.  It is one of the biggest challenges knowing you’re constantly being judged, but as time goes on your confidence grows and I now find it empowering.

“Often the guys just jump in without thinking, it’s instinctive I think at times.  Like when one of the trucks needed a tricky reversing manoeuvre and one of the team said he’d do it.  I said I would be fine and I was!”

Tara’s always been keen to get behind the wheel of a truck and is proud to say that she’s now licenced to drive Class 2 trucks, the biggest there are on the job.

Tara adds that she’s happy where she is at the moment but does have ambition for other roles within the electricity supply industry.  “Coming from domestic work, there’s so much to learn about distribution, so I’ll stay put for another couple of years at least before my next step.  That’s what’s great, there are definitely next steps, other jobs in the industry to aspire to, there’s a lot of different avenues to choose from which is great.”

And her advice to women considering joining the industry – “Just give it a go, take a chance, be ready to work hard, jump in and prove everyone wrong!”

The post “Just give it a go, take a chance, be ready to work hard, jump in and prove everyone wrong!” – Tara Treherne, Energy Supply Electrician appeared first on Connexis | Infrastructure Training.

A trainee line mechanic with Christchurch’s Independent Lines Services Alana loves the physicality and outdoor setting the job offers. “My dad Laurie has been a line mechanic forever and he inspired me to join the industry, he now works part time in the Independent Lines Services yard and is a professional firefighter,” Alana says.

“When I told him that I wanted to join the industry I think he was a little worried that I wouldn’t be able to handle working with all the boys, but he knows me. I was also a furniture mover for six years with my sister and we were the only female so I’m used to breaking down perceptions in a male-dominated industry.

“The guys are great to work with, very supportive and understanding and they have a great sense of humour, we all work as a team. They don’t treat me any differently to the rest of the crew.

“To start with I felt the pressure of being the only woman and I struggled a bit with it at first, but once I got to know the guys and we clicked it was fine. They understand me and step up and help if I need it, I also ask lots of questions.”

Always preferring physical and hands-on work, because she struggles with the written aspect, the hands-on electricity supply industry is a perfect career choice for Alana. “My first job was in healthcare, but the money wasn’t very good so I looked around for something else. I started with Independent Lines Services helping out with the Annual Connection competition, driving a fork lift, digging holes and doing other jobs. After that I was offered a contract with civil for 6 months in wheels trucks and rollers.

“I then made a choice between overhead and underground and went with overhead as it’s more physical and I like that. Every day is different and you’re never in the same spot. One of the best things about my job is that I’m outside every day.”

Alana’s work involves day to day maintenance of power lines, with some fault work if her crew is needed. “We went to a job the other day where a huge macrocarpa tree had fallen on some lines and damaged them, that was exciting.”

Two and half years down the track as a trainee line mechanic Alana is determined to become fully qualified. “I’ve done all my on-the-job training and study and had my finals last week, my paperwork let me down so it’s back to the drawing board, but I’m not worried I’ll get there. Once I qualify it will be a huge accomplishment for me, especially since I struggle with the written part.”

What’s next for Alana’s career? She isn’t sure yet. “I still have a lot to learn. Even the guys who have been in the job for three years say that there’s still lots to learn.

“I love working for Independent Lines, they’re a great company to work for, they really look after me.”

And Alana’s advice to women looking for a career in the industry is to go for it. “I love meeting and seeing other women in the industry. It’s a good steady career with lots of job options.”

“Women bring a whole different skill set and perspective to the job – including being gentler on the crane controls!” she laughs.

In her spare time Alana continues with her love of the outdoors enjoying bush walks with her partner, and on a Sunday you’ll find her spiking her adrenalin rush and racing a street stock car with her sister, helped by the rest of the family as the pit crew.

The post Alana – the woman who’s happiest perched on the top of a power pole at a Line Mechanic appeared first on Connexis | Infrastructure Training.

A high-voltage live line mechanic at Electrix, Laisa says many of the barriers that make working in the industry difficult for women are more a perception than a reality. Confidence in your own abilities and skills, and not brute strength, is what it takes to make it, she says.

And Laisa should know. She has worked in infrastructure for the past 21 years and was one of the first women to be recruited under the Women in Power initiative, now known as Ultimit: Women in Infrastructure, which turns 10 this year.

That is not to say she was always the assertive, self-assured woman she is today. She says she was the quiet one in the family. But being one of five girls and one boy, there was never any question of her holding back because of her gender.

Laisa was working with her hands from an early age, doing DIY with her grandfather in Fiji. After leaving school she worked at a timber processing plant – the only female among 200 employees.

She met some friends who offered to sponsor her to come to New Zealand. She took up the opportunity and moved with her young daughter. She got an opening to work in the Civil Infrastructure industry thru some close family and friends. This gave her an entrance into the infrastructure industry, starting at the bottom of the heap as a labourer.

Always with a thirst for learning and an eye on the next challenge, Laisa progressed through the ranks and after 12 years was driving 50–tonne diggers, running construction sites and training up new workers.

As with anything, with highs, you can expect lows and during that time, she experienced some hardship. With the economy in a downturn and job security within the civil industry at a significant low, she was made redundant for a few months due to the lack of work. At the same time, she was also going through a bitter divorce and lost everything including her home. She found herself flatting and living on the kindness of her friends and family. As the work picked up again, her previous employer contacted her and asked if she wanted a job operating again, which she happily accepted. Once back working full time, she started to re-evaluate the longevity of her work life in this industry and how she could better herself so that when the earthmoving season ended, she wouldn’t be on the chopping block again. At this time, she met her now-husband who encouraged her to gain qualifications. His son had just completed his training as a Line Mechanic at Electrix and had nothing but good things to say about the job and the training.

This led to an interest in line mechanics, and when an opportunity with Electrix came up she grabbed it with both hands. Laisa saw the potential to further upskill without the financial burden of full-time university study – something that was previously out of the question with a young family to provide for.

Laisa has been working in electricity supply for seven years now and has been earning while she learns ever since.

The highpoint of her training was when she took out top honours at the 2015 Annual Connection, the highlight of the electricity supply calendar. That year, Laisa was part of the first female team ever to compete at the event. She said being crowned Connexis Trainee of the Year was a welcome recognition of the hard work she had put into her apprenticeship over the previous two years.

It is easy to imagine that success comes easily to Laisa. She is now one of a small elite of glove and barrier line mechanics and one of the first females in this dangerous, high-voltage live line specialism. But to get to where she is today has taken her over 20 years, a commitment to hard work and self-learning, and a belief in the importance of sharing knowledge and best practice. Her spare room plastered with notes and photos, off limits to the rest of her family throughout her apprenticeship, is testament to the seriousness with which she takes her training.

Outdated gender stereotypes have also been something she has encountered over the years. While Laisa describes her co-workers as a “really good bunch” she said some comments, more from people on the street than from within the industry, can be “frustrating”. Her skin has got a lot thicker from working in the field and she stresses the need to be “straight up”.

The industry has opened its eyes to the benefits of having more women on the payroll, helped along by pioneers like Laisa. The skills they have brought to the industry have led many companies to actively recruit women. Of the eight apprentices taken on by Electrix in Laisa’s cohort, nearly half were women. Electrix has also set up a mentoring programme, where female trainees are paired up with women that are already established within the industry.

This shift is for good reason Laisa believes. She says women bring a fresh perspective, challenging the old ideas and helping to devise more efficient, safer ways of doing things. She also thinks they bring a greater emphasis on emotional wellbeing, something that was lacking in the industry previously.

Laisa believes the industry has a lot to offer women as well. She has always had a love of the outdoors and through her job has had the chance to travel extensively, to beautiful and often remote spots. She also loves that she has met and made friends with such a wide range of people, many of whom she would never have come across outside of the industry. There are so many career paths open to people in the industry too, Laisa says, with a chance to move into management roles later in your career.

And don’t be put off if you’re not physically big or strong. New, safer practices that encourage teamwork and the use of machinery are one of the changes that has come as more women enter the industry, Laisa says. What you do need, she says, is a network of like-minded people that you can go to when you need emotional, not physical, support.

The post High Voltage Career – Laisa Pickering appeared first on Connexis | Infrastructure Training.

As one of our new Connexis Ultimit Ambassadors, Angie shows that work enables play and that your personality defines your career and not the other way around.

“Engineer by trade, cyclist at heart,” is how she describes herself.

Angie never started out with her current job in mind. She has just said “yes” to opportunities as they came and followed wherever her interests led her. Being both sporty and academic meant walking a path that challenged her mind and body, from working on long-term energy sustainability projects to inspecting power station boilers.

Born and bred in Free State, South Africa, Angie liked school and always enjoyed learning new skills. While at high school, her mother organised for her to do a site tour of the petrochemical plant she worked at as a personal assistant. Angie came away intrigued and excited. She was blown away by the idea that you can take natural resources to create something entirely new.

This led Angie to university and a five-year degree in Chemical Engineering. While there, she also did vocational work at Eskom, a state-owned electricity utility. After graduating, Angie got a job at the same utility, where she stayed for four years until the opportunity arose for her and her husband to relocate to New Zealand.

Angie and her husband, also a Mechanical Engineer, have worked for Genesis Energy since 2018 and have been making the most of both the ‘work and play’ sides of their lives ever since.

Taking full advantage of the flexible workhours at Genesis, they enjoy touring the country, usually with their bikes in tow. A highlight was their trip to the South Island, where Angie fell in love with Christchurch. They are also grateful for the fact their jobs allow them to save for a house something which will become a higher priority should they have children.

Genesis has opened doors for Angie on a professional level too, and she is excited to have a platform for causes that are important to her. She has a Certificate in Business Sustainability Management from Cambridge University and is using her knowledge to promote energy efficiency in the Asset Strategy Team. Genesis Energy announced plans in late 2020 to develop more renewable electricity generation, and cut its annual carbon emissions by 1.2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide by 2025. It aims to do this via substantial investment in solar, wind and geothermal projects as part of its vision to “empower New Zealand’s sustainable future.”

She is also involved in Girls in Hi-Vis, a Connexis initiative to introduce high schoolers to the industry, which is happily returning in 2021 after being postponed in 2020 due to Covid. There is always at least one girl with a spark in her eye at the end of these events, according to Angie. One is enough, she says, to have an impact on the industry. Last year too, Angie took part in Women in Energy, which took place online during lockdown. These programmes are an attempt by the industry to address the systemic barriers to recruiting women.

Despite being a champion of women in infrastructure, Angie plays down the obstacles she has faced in her career. Her parents empowered her to believe there were no limits to her potential, and she was not going to let fear hold her back. She admits her first day working in a Power Station was intimidating but says it is those scary experiences that bring the biggest rewards.

To anyone thinking about a career in infrastructure, Angie echoes the words of fellow Ultimit Ambassador Laisa Pickering: “Go for it”.

“Take all opportunities and don’t be afraid,” she says. She also acknowledges that many women fear making mistakes. “You don’t have to know it all,” she says.

“Trust your gut.”

The energy industry is moving away from old ideas about gender roles and working hard to open doors to women. In 2018, Genesis embarked upon a new programme to reduce the gender pay gap, reducing it to just 1.4% in 2020 for males and females doing equal value work. Angie says it is heartening to see the industry ‘walking the talk’ in this respect, although she admits it was bittersweet. While it made her feel valued and appreciated, she says women should never be paid less in the first place, regardless of industry. She stresses though the need to look forward and not get caught up in past inequities. She also urges women not to use perceived gender biases as an excuse to dismiss an infrastructure career.

Where to next for this inspirational young woman? Wherever the opportunities lie, according to Angie. She plans to keep saying “yes” (discerningly, of course) and it will only be on reflection that she will be able to pinpoint the pivotal moments that moved her career forward.

The post Power Play – Angie Du Randt appeared first on Connexis | Infrastructure Training.

Danielle, a new recruit to the Connexis Ultimit Ambassador programme, argues that in some ways it is easier being a female in this male, and often still “pretty macho” industry.

It is not merely the fact that Danielle is a woman that has made her a standout in the electricity supply industry. She has qualities that are more unique to her.

One of which is a deep confidence in her own abilities. Even when she is plunged into a new role, Danielle knows she will figure out what is required soon enough.

The first day of Danielle’s apprenticeship, for example, was nerve-wracking, she says. “You show up…and you’re not sure what they’re going to ask you to do.” But she trusted in herself, asked the right questions and quickly learned the skills to get the job done.

She does not take all the credit here though. She says having a great support, in her case a tradesman named Stephen, was central to her success. He took the time to explain why things are done the way they are, she says. He was “patient…really kind and thorough”, knew the rules and shared best practice. “He set me up for success.”

Danielle is also impulsive, being directed along her career path by instinct more than intention.

Born and raised in Auckland, she was a good student and because of this, she was never asked what she would like to do with her future. The question instead was: “What will you do at uni?”. So she started a BA/ BCom and hated it.

After dropping out, her mother urged her to gain a qualification, so Danielle started a trades course at UniTech “out of the blue”. From there she began asking around for an apprenticeship and eventually found a position at Electrix.

It took six years of on-job and self-learning for Danielle to work her way up to her current role. “I never thought of learning a trade until I was doing it,” she says. Now, she says she “wouldn’t do anything else”.

What Danielle loves about her job most of all is the variety. She is not one for doing the same thing day after day and enjoys the chance to experience different aspects of the job including project work, fault finding and equipment maintenance.

She also appreciates the financial benefits of a trade career.. While getting qualified, Danielle was able to save a little every week and paid off the student loan she racked up during her university and Unitech study.

Over the years her salary has improved, enabling her to travel and even buy a house. Danielle describes her new home as “nothing much” but admits it is still a feat for someone of her age to buy into the Auckland property market.

Danielle is decisive and assertive – a combination that has got her far in her career. “I see something and decide I want it.” There is no other plan, she says. Once she has fixed her sights on her next career step, she finds the right person and starts asking. Somehow, the answer is always eventually “yes”, Danielle says.

Danielle does not believe she has experienced any prejudice in her career because she is a women. She describes her colleagues as “really nice dudes” who treat her the same as they treat each other.

She acknowledges that the industry is “still pretty macho”, but believes the influx of younger workers, further spurred by the Free Trades Training currently available, is helping change the working environment. Change is also being led by the corporate side of companies, Danielle says, and that then flows into the field teams.

She believes women can be a real asset to employers, bringing a stronger focus on precision and planning. They are more focused and organised, she says, and are better at listening and working collaboratively.

She says there are no special skills required to work in Infrastructure. She firmly believes there is “nothing special” about herself or the other women who work in the industry. “Anyone can do any job” if you put in the effort to listen, watch and learn, she says. This is certainly the attitude she has brought to her own career.

Just two years into her current role, Danielle is already planning her next move. She has set her sights on the HVDC Inter-Island link, better known as the Cook Strait cable, which connects the electricity networks of the North and South Islands. Not one for self-doubt, she is fairly confident of her chances.

The post Energy and Attitude – Danielle Forman appeared first on Connexis | Infrastructure Training.

And it’s something her role as an apprentice substation maintainer at PowerNet is serving up in spades.

Symarah, 22, got her first taste of the industry when she was 15 – taking an electronics class at Southland Girls’ High School, where she got to work on amazing projects like solar powered fans, and programme miniature electronic cars.

Last year she attended the Girls with Hi-Vis event held at PowerNet, which further sparked her interest in the energy industry.

Symarah highly recommends Girls with Hi-Vis events and says that’s where she first found out about the job she now has – through talking to PowerNet staff.

She’d never seen a transformer before, and loved getting a ride in a bucket truck, trying on personal protective gear, and changing fuses.

“I thought it was really good, especially as they get you out and about in the field. They get you right in there doing it.”

She started as an apprentice substation maintainer in early 2019 after completing a pre-trade electrical engineering course at the Southern Institute of Technology (SIT) in 2018.

She had previously taken some time out after finishing school to weigh up her options, before deciding to study at SIT, and then apply for the job at PowerNet.

“It was one year of full-on study, but was always in the back of my mind. I didn’t just want to jump into something and be in all this debt.”

She received the PowerNet sponsored award at SIT for the most improved student on the course.

“That was a real bonus, and helped get me to where I am.”

She believes winning the award helped get her noticed – and didn’t do her any harm in the job application process, either.

“I wanted to do something that had an apprenticeship, so I could work and learn at the same time.”

She was out in the field from the first day – and says watching, listening and learning have been a big focus during her first couple of months.

Her main task at the moment is assisting with substation checks.

“I find it interesting, because (the energy industry is) something that not a lot of people know about.”

She really enjoys working with her PowerNet colleagues and loves getting out and about.

“One day we were in Edendale, then we went to Gore, then we went to Fortrose, then we went to Bluff. We get it done. I love the team environment. Everyone’s there to back each other up.

“I’m an outdoors person and need variety in my work – that’s the biggest thing. This job has lots of variety.”

Away from work, Symarah plays hockey and social netball, and enjoys fishing, and deer hunting.

“We go up to Twizel in the canals. That’s pretty exciting. We go for salmon, but there’s some big trout up there too.”

She plans to get her teeth into her appreticeship – including night classes – and learn all the different aspects of her role.

“I just want to finish my apprenticeship and see where that takes me,” she says.

Her advice to others is to ask lots of questions about different education options, industries and companies when trying to make up your mind about what to study or where to work.

“It’s great that there’s opportunities for anyone to get into awesome industries like this one,” Symarah says.

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“The beauty of it is that it makes those opportunities and choices visible to young women. Often they’re not presented with trades as an option when it comes to leaving school and choosing a career, but I think trades offer incredible opportunities.

“I wish I had known more about the trade opportunities available when I was leaving school.”

Instead, Rebecca Larking found her way into the power industry by going to university and studying as a hydrologist. From there she moved into an environmental role and into operational roles.

“While I didn’t come into this industry via a trade, I work with a lot of people who have and I can see the value in it,” she says. “Though things have improved since I left school in terms of making girls aware of the choices they have in this industry, there is still work to be done.”

Rebecca’s own career path from hydrologist to a general manager is a clear example of the job variety that lies within the power industry, and that was what took most attendees at last year’s Genesis GWHV event at Tokaanu by surprise.

“I think most of them were expecting everything to be very engineering focused. While we showed them that choice and presented them with women in those roles, I think the variety of roles which make up our team really surprised them,” she says.

“I think perhaps a lot of the girls last year didn’t really know what they were coming to initially, but by the end of it, as we went through the power station; and they had some hands-on experiences of all different aspects of the inner workings, they really started to engage.”

The success of that event saw Genesis happy to commit to a second event in 2018. It’s grown from nine or ten girls last year to about 42 lined up for this year’s event.

The other unexpected benefit for Genesis of GWHV, says Rebecca, is how engaged and passionate the staff have become about it.  “The staff got a real buzz from it. It’s given us a real leadership opportunity to grow some of our team, into speaking and presenting. A lot of them are really excited about showcasing what we do.”

Rebecca says the wider benefit of being a part of GWHV is to make Genesis a more diverse and representative workplace.

“I think that benefits everyone. I think that diversity brings with it a change in culture, different ideas, different levels of resilience and different reactions to things that happen in the workplace. I think that variety is definitely a healthy thing.”

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