A Word From Our Director — December 2023

Martin Svehla eNews, News

Kia ora koutou As 2023 draws to a close we have much to be collectively proud of across our combined infrastructure trades community. As many of you will know the new Government has announced there will be a change in direction for the Reform of Vocational Education (RoVE). As we ready ourselves for any changes in structure I want to …

Keeping Stewart Island connected

Martin Svehla Energy, eNews, News

Isaac O’Grady front row, second from left Isaac O’Grady knows all about the importance of teamwork. As an apprentice line mechanic and station operator on Stewart Island, Isaac works as part of a small PowerNet crew of three responsible for the maintenance and repair of the island’s electricity network. Being part of such a small crew in a fairly isolated …

Bounding ahead

Martin Svehla Civil, eNews, News

Sam Molony — back row, third from the right “It’s really intense but really cool. If you give it a try, you won’t regret it.” That’s how 34-year-old Sam Molony describes her recent experience completing Outward Bound, after being awarded an Outward Bound Scholarship through Connexis. “Outward Bound is a real mental, emotional and physical journey; a real rollercoaster,” she …

Wastewater feeds new interests

Martin Svehla eNews, News, Water

Hugo Manson has just completed his New Zealand Certificate in Wastewater Treatment (Level 4) — at the age of 82. You might think that would be reason enough for Hugo to put his feet up. Instead, Hugo is looking for new ways to implement and expand on his wastewater knowledge. Currently, having worked for 18 months on wastewater treatment at …

Covid sparks new career for mum of three

Martin Svehla Energy, eNews, News

When the Covid pandemic struck in 2020, it turned out to be life-changing for cable jointer Chloe Dean. She was made redundant from her office job as an immigration adviser. “Thanks to Covid I was forced to make choices I might not have made otherwise. I had nothing to lose and followed a dream I thought I would be too …

Discovering the power of learning

Martin Svehla Civil, Civil Trades, eNews, News

Ned Hala — second from the left Ned Hala likes a challenge. After spending much of his early working life in the meat works he made the change to civil infrastructure nine years ago and has never looked back. “If I’d known how much I’d love Civil, I would never have even tried working in the meat works. I love …

A Word From Our Director — For Learners

Martin Svehla eNews, News

The last quarter of this year will move us from spring and into summer. This is a great time to reevaluate where you are with your training programme and what habits you can put in place with the longer daylight hours to ensure you progress through your programme and are successful in completing your training. A key focus for Connexis …

A Word From Our Director — November 2023

Martin Svehla eNews, News

The last quarter of this year brings with it a change to our government, along with the state of change we have been working in through the reform of vocational education (RoVE). While we continue to evolve to meet these changes, our commitment to step up our service to our learners, employers and infrastructure industries remains. A goal of RoVE …

It’s a wrap! Annual Connection and Excellence Awards

Martin Svehla Energy, eNews, News

September once again saw our incredible people in the Electrical Supply and Telecommunications sector showcase their skills and expertise at Annual Connections. Each year that event closes with the annual Excellence Awards celebrating the country’s top electrical and telecommunications trainees. Congratulations to Alex Chandler, of Connetics in Christchurch, who was named the winner of the cable jointer competition at Annual …

Country’s top electrical supply trainees celebrated

benstevens Energy, eNews, News, Our People

Wellington 25 September 2023:  Abbey Meiritz Reid’s passion for the electrical supply industry and technical skills involved in her work has seen her named New Zealand Trainee of the Year for 2023, despite being less than two years into her career. Abbey, who has been a trainee electrical fitter with Connetics in Christchurch since the start of 2022, has been …