Every year at the Connexis Energy Trainee Excellence Awards we celebrate those trainees working in the Electricity Supply Industry (ESI) around the country who demonstrate great willingness to learn, and who are working hard to build themselves a successful career.

Finalises are chosen in five trainee categories, based on nominations from employers. Winners are then chosen in each category, with one winner then named Overall Trainee of the Year.

This year’s Overall Trainee winner was Hugh Thomson, from Counties Energy, who also won Distribution Trainee of the Year.

As well as celebrating the winners of The Connexis Energy Trainee Excellence Awards we’d also like to shine a light on all the finalists, who were nominated by trainers, supervisors and senior executives in their companies for their hard work and commitment – to both their training and their jobs. We look forward to seeing how all of them progress in their ESI careers.

2025 Connexis Energy Trainee Excellence Awards finalists:

Transmission Trainee of the Year

Callum Fowden, Transmission Line Mechanic and Utility Arborist, Ventia

Winner

“I wanted to pursue this career as I love getting outdoors and this job has so many opportunities for seeing new parts of the country. All the opportunities this career comes with were right up my alley.

“A highlight of my training so far has been all the great people I have met along the way and learning all about how the industry works, one of the biggest highlights would be all the great friends I’ve made along the way.

“One of the challenges of the training so far would be figuring out rigging and working out all the rigs at the yard before heading out to site for the day’s task.

“I just love getting out there and giving everything. Whenever there’s something new to try I’m always the first to put my hand up to give it a go.”

Dylan Watson, trainee electrician, Omexom

“I’ve always loved working on computers; taking old broken desktops and combining them to make something that works better than the original version. It translated well into electrical distribution, as we work on lots of protection equipment, transformer control boards, motor control boards and things like that where I get to apply my prior knowledge of fault finding, testing and unleashing my ADHD on wire looming.

“A highlight of my training is being able to see my improvements in cable management and routing on systems I wire. Looking from the first board I wired to the ones I’m wiring now the difference is clear and I’m able to take pride in the systems I wire now.

“The best part of my job is working in a field that can’t accurately be defined as domestic/industrial/distribution. Substation maintenance has us working on a 220kv disconnecter, rewiring the control board for the motor one day. The next day rewiring an office building, installing a new lvac switchboard, and the next wiring s.e.l relays into a new panel, then completing scheduled maintenance and testing on a 350kv dc filter bank.”

Dylan Ngahooro, trainee transmission line mechanic, Omexom

“I previously worked in the industry as a tower structure maintainer and decided I wanted to build my skills and learnings within the transmission industry.

“A highlight of training so far has been my work mates putting in the time to teach me and give me feedback on how to further my skills as a transmission lineman. Since we work on such a broad mix of tasks, it can be tricky to hang on to certain learnings, especially for the ones we don’t do very often but I enjoy the physically demanding and the mental aspects of it.”

Distribution Trainee of the Year

Hugh Thomson, trainee line mechanic, Counties Energy

Winner, and winner of Overall Trainee of the Year, 2025

“I was doing civil work for distribution/transmission and I thought this job looked awesome and interesting with all the climbing and building lines so I decided to give it a go and try to upskill.

“The best part of training is starting to make sense of everything like pole designs, testing and switching; putting all the training and knowledge together while on site or on a shutdown.

It can be a challenge to remember things as there’s quite a lot of different tasks that you might not do everyday, to remember; lots of plants and equipment to learn, as well as knots and rigging – all while under pressure. But I love working with good people at Counties Energy, having armour rod or knot competitions between each other and having a laugh.”

Tom Anderson, trainee line mechanic, Electronet

“I was interested in this job because it was really hands-on, and  needed different skills every day. With this job you’re never in the same place and I love it.

“That’s also been a highlight of my training so far – the diverse work; from stringing wire with a helicopter, to doing low voltage fusses and pillar boxes. I don’t think I could have one highlight the whole career path had been wicked, and I’ve loved working towards being qualified.

“The only challenges I’ve come across through my training would be the paperwork. I’m definitely a more hands on person but thankfully, I’ve been able to seek advice from others and knuckle down to achieve all the written work.

“The best part of my job is being able to wake up and not go work in a factory or McDonalds, but to be able to explore the West Coast and work in a job where you don’t know where you’re going to be the next day.”

Harvey Mitchell, trainee line mechanic, Ventia

In nominating him for the award Harvey’s employers said: “Harvey is known for his unmatched self-motivation and go-getter attitude. He is not afraid to challenge the status quo or respectfully pull up even the most experienced team members when something is not right. Whether he is talking to CEOs, customers, or members of the public, Harvey brings the same level of confidence, clarity, and professionalism.

“What truly sets him apart is his ability to connect with everyone. Harvey engages with the whole team, no matter who you are, making everyone feel heard and valued.”

Harley Farnham, electrician, Buller Networks

“I enjoy hands-on work and wanted a job where I could learn useful skills and help keep the power on. Through training I like seeing my skills improve and being trusted with more responsibility. The challenge has been getting used to the early starts and tough coastal weather, but I love the variety of jobs and locations.”

Traction Trainee of the Year

Robert Ngawharau, traction line mechanic, KiwiRail

Winner

In nominating Robert for the award his employers KiwiRail said he is a mentor to other trainees and takes responsibility for his work and actions. “He communicates clearly with his team to make sure they understand their tasks and plans. He asks questions to avoid mistakes.”

Generation Trainee of the Year

Fiona Glennie, trainee power technician, Meridian Energy

Winner

“I grew up on a permaculture farm with a hybrid battery backed solar/wind set-up which my father installed, so I’ve always been surrounded by power generation, albeit on a far smaller scale.

“My first week in the job I had the chance to peek at the insides of one of the main unit transformers at Manapouri Power Station and I feel pretty lucky to be in the industry at a time when a lot of equipment is being upgraded and refurbished.

“I’ve enjoyed learning how to navigate working with colleagues across different business units. It’s been a new experience working with people I haven’t necessarily met and roles I don’t know well.

“It is pretty incredible to be in a role where my whole job is to learn. I’m very grateful to be in that position while being surrounded by so many colleagues, teams and contractors with many, many years of experience and stories that they are more than willing to share.”

Caitlin Manickum, generation electrical apprentice, Mercury Energy

“I wanted to pursue this career because the idea of electrical work sounded fulfilling and an area for me to exercise my problem solving skills while constantly learning new things.

“One of the highlights of training for me has been the opportunity to be involved in full station overhauls and one the challenges has been understanding all the different systems used in generation.

“The best part of my job is that there are new learning opportunities for me every day and I am fortunate to work with a very supportive team.”

Callum Bryant, operator/maintainer, Genesis Energy

“I wanted a career path that made me think, whilst being able to work with my hands.

“One of the highlights of my training has been being able to see inside Tekapo A during a four-yearly outage. I enjoy being able to make improvements to an old plant and keep it running.”

Advanced Trainee of the Year

Gemma Rose, junior power technician, Empowered Technical Services

Winner

“I was really interested in learning more of the technical side to this industry and seeing where it would take me. A highlight has been the variety of work and the fact there is always something more to learn.

“I really enjoy working with the other people in my company, which has a great culture. We also have many experienced technicians who are always willing to teach and share their knowledge with you.”

Mitch van Waelsden, trainee technician, Mainpower NZ Ltd

“I pursued this role because I wanted to further my understanding and knowledge of the power system as a whole. The highlight of training is applying your new skills to the job, and a highlight of the job is the variation of work and the places you get to see.”

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What do you think the secret was to your success last year?
Simon Bayliss (team foreman): “I don’t think there is a secret, but I think for us it was the ability to adapt under pressure. It was not all smooth sailing for us, but we supported each other. Safety was always in front of our minds, but it was really the way the team pulled together when it got challenging. We needed to stay calm, positive, and adjust quickly. I think that’s what got us over the line in the end.”

What prompted the team to want to compete together again this year?
Lance Kahotea: “Talking amongst ourselves, we agreed we loved our time at the Annual Connection competition; the atmosphere, and the chance to meet new people from the industry. Overall, it’s a great experience.

What does it mean to be returning champions?
Micheal Kava: “As returning champions, there is always added pressure to perform and win. I’m sure it will be no different this year for us or for the other teams competing, as everyone will want to do well. The main thing for us is to give it our best and enjoy the experience again.”

What does the team love about competing at Annual Connection?
Michael Mitchell (trainee): “The team enjoyed the different events and the event’s ability to bring different companies together. It is just as much as an opportunity to meet other lineys and see different equipment used, as it is a great competition. As a team, we really enjoyed the whole Annual Connection experience.”

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The winners will be announced at the Connexis Excellence Awards Dinner, being held on 23 October at Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre. Who will take out the top accolade of Trainee of the Year?

Good luck to all the finalists who are:

Transmission Trainee category:
Dylan Watson, Omexom, Otematata
Callum Fowden, Ventia, Upper Hutt
Dylan Ngahooro, Ventia, Upper Hutt

Generation Trainee category:
Caitlin Manickum, Mercury Ltd, Taupo
Callum Bryant, Genesis Energy Ltd, Tekapo
Fiona Glennie, Meridian Energy, Twizel

Advanced Trainee category:
Gemma Rose, Empowered Technical Services, Ngaruawahia
Mitch van Waelsden, MainPower NZ Ltd, Kaiapoi

Distribution Trainee Category:
Harley Farnham, Buller Networks, Westport
Harvey Mitchell, Ventia NZ Ltd, Hamilton
Hugh Thomson, Counties Energy, Manukau
Tom Anderson, ElectroNet, Greymouth

Traction Line Mechanic category:
Robert Ngawharau, KiwiRail, Auckland.

Contribution to training and development:
Andree Curly James, Ventia NZ Ltd, Auckland
David Haydock, Genesis Energy Ltd, Huntly
Paul Bryant, Genesis Energy, Tekapo

What is Annual Connection?
Annual Connection, managed by Connexis, is an annual three-day competition showcasing and celebrating the skills and expertise of New Zealand’s Electricity Supply Industry (ESI). It sees line mechanic crews and cable jointers from around the country compete in a series of challenges that put their workplace skills to the test.

Connexis Executive Director Kaarin Gaukrodger says the training provider is thrilled to be bringing Annual Connection back to Christchurch, which last hosted the event in 2018.

“Bringing Annual Connection to Christchurch creates a fantastic opportunity to gather our ESI companies centrally in the South Island. There is nothing quite like this event to showcase the skill in our ESI workforce, while demonstrating to the community how rewarding and varied careers in the energy sector can be.

“It will be great to see the different teams, as well as suppliers and supporters, from all over New Zealand gather in Christchurch to test their skills against each other over the three-day competition.”

Annual Connection makes its return to the South Island this year with help from three host companies: Orion, EA Networks, and Connetics Ltd.

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