This hands-on experience in an infrastructure role while he was still at school has opened doors for Northland’s Halen Pihema. 

In 2025, while still a student at Broadwood Area School in the Far North, Halen completed a Connexis Gateway programme, working with Map Projects. The skills he gained through Gateway, which saw him work onsite with Map Projects for part of the week, then helped Halen find a job with civil contracting company Solid Civil Solutions. 

“At the start of school last year my School Gateway Co-ordinator Tanya King, gave me some options of what to study and there was a career option, so I chose that. Then she asked if I wanted to try some work experience as part of that, so she got hold of the Gateway programme.” 

A civil construction career appealed as Halen has his sights set on gaining his heavy vehicle licenses so he can operate onsite heavy machinery like diggers and trucks. Halen says the infrastructure Worksites Level 3 Gateway Programme he gained through Gateway has given him a great start to those career goals, and definitely opened the door to his current job by giving him important basic skills. 

“It covered a lot of health and safety stuff, as well as things like how to read technical documents like site plans. One of the best parts of the training is knowing how to read all that. When I started and first looked at documents like that I didn’t know anything so it’s pretty cool to be able to read them and understand them.”  

Find out more about the range of Connexis Gateway programmes available here 

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Attending a Connexis Girls with Hi-Vis® (GWHV) event in 2022 opened Natalee Hughes’s eyes to a new world of career possibilities.

After attending a GWHV hosted by Horizon Networks in Whakatane, Natalee completed a Gateway programme with Horizon while she was still a student at Trident High School. It just cemented the idea that a career as a line mechanic was for her.

Once she left school, Natalee joined Horizon full time as an apprentice line mechanic and is due to complete her apprenticeship later in 2025. She’s also gone on to help encourage other young women into similar apprenticeships by helping out at recent GWHV events.

“I really enjoyed the day when I visited through Girls with Hi-Vis®. As a student I really enjoyed being a bucket operator and controlling a crane, but the best thing was pole top rescue and I really enjoyed the hands-on nature of the work.

“GWHV is important because it gives girls a chance to try things you wouldn’t usually expect girls to do,” she says. “If you’re thinking about a trade, just go for it. Don’t let the opportunity pass you by — you might regret it.”

Natalee’s own successes are proof of where trades training can take you. After seeing her speak confidently and passionately to other young women at GWHV about the opportunities open to them, Natalee was selected by Horizon and Connexis for a Connexis Outward Bound scholarship in 2024 in recognition of her leadership skills.

“I wanted to do Outward Bound because I wanted to try something I’d never tried before and I wanted to gain confidence in my own abilities,” Natalee says, adding that one of the most rewarding parts of the experience was working with the team of people on her Outward Bound course.

“They were non-judgemental and they were all amazing people who really encouraged me to never give up on myself or my teammates. I was nervous about the 5km run we had to do, because of an injury, but I managed it and didn’t give up. I felt amazing afterwards. I had a real sense of accomplishment,” Natalee says.

“I also learned to always have the courage to speak up for yourself. In this job it’s really important as if you ever feel unsafe you need to speak up, and if I have a question I need to have the courage to ask.”

Back on the job with Horizon, Natalee says the thing she loves most about her job is the people she works with out in the field. “They push me past boundaries that I never thought I could cross. They make me feel a part of the line mechanic whānau.”

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Thanks to friends and family already working as line mechanics, Noah Bennie was confident being a line mechanic was the job for him; a good match for his desire to work outside and his love of climbing.

It was during a Gateway programme, working one day a week for Delta in Alexandra while he was still at high school that Noah knew he was on the right path for a successful career he enjoys.

Noah now works full time for Delta as an apprentice line mechanic and credits Gateway for setting him up for success as a trainee.

“I have a cousin who’s a linesman and a friend who had already started an apprenticeship with Delta so I knew from them it was a good job but doing the work experience with Gateway really showed me what it was like.

“It lets you do all that on-the-job hands-on stuff that you can’t do in school. You’re learning things that you know are going to help you in the future.”

Noah says the transition into an apprenticeship with Delta through Connexis has been seamless thanks to his previous Gateway experience with the company.

“I’ve really just gone straight from doing one day a week to working five days a week with them. There’s some bookwork obviously but it’s been a pretty easy change to working full time.

“Knowing the company and people has made it easier, and it means they’re familiar with me too. They knew me and they knew I was going to be useful and have a bit of a clue what I’m doing.”

As well as technical skills Noah says Gateway also set him up for the reality of working full time. “The work experience, and my apprenticeship training help you develop a good work ethic; to show up wanting to do your best and enjoy the work.”

A highlight of the job so far for Noah was a snow day that meant his crew was out from 7am to 9pm fixing weather-related faults around the region. “That was pretty cool, out in the snow all day fixing faults and broken cross arms and all sorts. That was definitely a highlight.”

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Annual Connection 2023, proudly hosted by Southland’s electricity management company, PowerNet in conjunction with Connexis | Te Pūkenga will see line mechanic crews and cable jointers compete in events that put their workplace skills to the test.

This year’s event will be held September 19-21 at Donovan Park in Invercargill with electrical supply crews travelling from different companies around the country to participate.

Annual Connection is also an opportunity for school students to see energy supply workers in action and get a feel for what a career in the industry looks like. A supplier expo will showcase new technologies and the three-day event will close with the Connexis Excellence Awards, recognising the country’s top energy and telecommunications trainees.

PowerNet CEO Jason Franklin says Annual Connection is an opportunity for the wider community to better understand the electrical supply industry and the company is looking forward to bringing a “Southern flavour” to the event.

“We have been involved in Annual Connection for a number of years and wanted to step up to host to give something back to the industry. The event is an opportunity to showcase the skills and experience we have in the sector right across New Zealand, as well as to share best practices and attract new people to the industry,” Franklin says.

“It’s also an excellent chance for industry people from all over the country to experience Invercargill and Southland hospitality.

“Our team members are very excited to be involved and have the first opportunity to represent PowerNet at home,” he says.

“The competitions are a real thrill for spectators and give the public a chance to see the incredible skills and training these energy supply workers have up close.”

Connexis Director Kaarin Gaukrodger says the competitions showcase the skills of  workers who have kept the country connected through some of the recent damaging weather events.

“Typically, the kind of work they’re doing is often in the backcountry, and at odd hours, therefore a lot of their vital work goes unseen so Annual Connection gives them an amazing opportunity to demonstrate what they know.

“Between the competitions and Excellence Awards, Annual Connection is an important celebration of New Zealand’s energy supply and telecommunications sectors,” she says.

“Between the awards and the competitions, Annual Connection offers a chance to show off best practice as well as the skills and talent embedded in our infrastructure workforce, while showcasing career opportunities to newcomers and the next generation.”

Gaukrodger adds Connexis is thrilled to have Southland’s PowerNet on board as sponsor this year. “We love taking Annual Connection to the regions and having the event in Invercargill this year, will be a fantastic opportunity to take a closer look at the industry in Southland and understand it’s unique challenges and opportunities.”

About PowerNet:

PowerNet Limited is a network management company delivering power to Invercargill City, Southland, West Otago, parts of Central Otago and Stewart Island.

PowerNet manages the electricity networks of The Power Company Limited, Electricity Invercargill Limited, OtagoNet Joint Venture and Lakeland Network Ltd (in parts of Frankton, Wanaka and Cromwell). Based on the regulatory value of the networks it manages, PowerNet is the equivalent of the fourth largest network company in New Zealand, delivering electricity to over 74,400 consumers.

The post Electrical supply crews amped up for Annual Connection 2023 appeared first on Connexis | Infrastructure Training.

The best of New Zealand’s line mechanics and cable jointers will be going head-to-head in Invercargill in September, showing off the skills that keep the country’s electricity connected.

Annual Connection 2023, proudly hosted by Southland’s electricity management company, PowerNet in conjunction with Connexis | Te Pūkenga will see line mechanic crews and cable jointers compete in events that put their workplace skills to the test.

This year’s event will be held September 19-21 at Donovan Park in Invercargill with electrical supply crews travelling from different companies around the country to participate.

Annual Connection is also an opportunity for school students to see energy supply workers in action and get a feel for what a career in the industry looks like. A supplier expo will showcase new technologies and the three-day event will close with the Connexis Excellence Awards, recognising the country’s top energy and telecommunications trainees.

PowerNet CEO Jason Franklin says Annual Connection is an opportunity for the wider community to better understand the electrical supply industry and the company is looking forward to bringing a “Southern flavour” to the event.

“We have been involved in Annual Connection for a number of years and wanted to step up to host to give something back to the industry. The event is an opportunity to showcase the skills and experience we have in the sector right across New Zealand, as well as to share best practices and attract new people to the industry,” Franklin says.

“It’s also an excellent chance for industry people from all over the country to experience Invercargill and Southland hospitality.

“Our team members are very excited to be involved and have the first opportunity to represent PowerNet at home.”

“The competitions are a real thrill for spectators and give the public a chance to see the incredible skills and training these energy supply workers have up close.

“These are the workers who have kept the country connected through some of the recent damaging weather events. Typically, the kind of work they’re doing is often in the backcountry, and at odd hours, therefore a lot of their vital work goes unseen so Annual Connection gives them an amazing opportunity to demonstrate what they know,” Gaukrodger says.

“Between the competitions and Excellence Awards, Annual Connection is an important celebration of New Zealand’s energy supply and telecommunications sectors.”

“Between the awards and the competitions, Annual Connection offers a chance to show off best practice as well as the skills and talent embedded in our infrastructure workforce, while showcasing career opportunities to newcomers and the next generation.”

Gaukrodger adds Connexis is thrilled to have Southland’s PowerNet on board as sponsor this year. “We love taking Annual Connection to the regions and having the event in Invercargill this year, will be a fantastic opportunity to take a closer look at the industry in Southland and understand it’s unique challenges and opportunities.”

About PowerNet:

PowerNet Limited is a network management company delivering power to Invercargill City, Southland, West Otago, parts of Central Otago and Stewart Island.

PowerNet manages the electricity networks of The Power Company Limited, Electricity Invercargill Limited, OtagoNet Joint Venture and Lakeland Network Ltd (in parts of Frankton, Wanaka and Cromwell). Based on the regulatory value of the networks it manages, PowerNet is the equivalent of the fourth largest network company in New Zealand, delivering electricity to over 74,400 consumers.

The post Electrical supply crews amped up for Annual Connection 2023 appeared first on Connexis | Infrastructure Training.

“I really like working up the poles. It’s fun. Better than being in a classroom or office all day,” he says. 

Bailey first came to PowerNet as part of the Connexis Gateway programme, which gives Year 11, 12 and 13 high school students the opportunity to gain experience in the infrastructure sector, to see if the roles are right for them. They also earn NCEA credits for their work. 

Bailey, now 19, worked with the small four-person team at PowerNet’s Te Anau depot every Friday through his last year of high school. That experience saw him employed by the company as a full-time trainee at the start of 2023. 

He says the Gateway programme not only gave him an understanding of what being a line mechanic was all about, it also helped him get to know the team who are now his co-workers. 

“That definitely helped make the change easier, going from the classroom and one day a week at the depot, to working here full-time.” 

Bailey’s boss, PowerNet Team Leader Hamish Prentice says the Gateway programme is extremely helpful in making sure new trainees are a good fit for the job. 

“It was great having that year leading up to Bailey starting full-time. We got to know him and he got to know what the job involves. It meant when he did start as a trainee he could hit the ground running” Hamish says.  

Hiring young people straight into apprenticeships can be tricky if they have no idea what they’re getting into, he says. 

PowerNet Health and Safety officer Tony Clarke says the aspect of getting to know a team before committing to a full-time role is an important part of Gateway, particularly in small teams. 

“You get to see their work ethic which is important, but it’s not all about the work. You also get to see if they’re enjoying it and get a sense of how they get along with others. If that’s not right it can be a problem, especially in a depot like Te Anau where there are only three or four people.” 

As a Gateway student, Bailey started working with the team on simpler jobs but got involved wherever he could. Now, as an employee, he is constantly building on those experiences as his knowledge and skills grow. 

Bailey has no hesitation in recommending the Connexis Gateway programme to other young people, saying it’s an opportunity to learn about jobs you might not otherwise know exist, as well as an opportunity to learn some of the skills required. 

“Definitely give it a try if you have the chance,” he says. Everything was new when I started Gateway. This isn’t a job lots of people know about. I didn’t know much about it when I started but the company has made it pretty easy for me to learn and fit in. 

“If you don’t know something you just have to ask. There’s always someone around that can help.” 

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In his last year at Waitaki Boys High School in North Otago, Te Meihana, now 18, participated in the Gateway Programme with local electrical lines company Network Waitaki, where he now works full-time as an apprentice line mechanic. It’s a job he loves, but may not have discovered without the opportunity to try it out through Gateway.

“Being a line mechanic wasn’t a job I would have thought about without the chance to try it while I was at school,” Te Meihana says. “It wasn’t a job I really knew anything about, but it appealed to me straight away. It’s so different to any other job out there. I love it.”

Te Meihana’s role as an apprentice is to “really just help out my crew with anything that needs doing” and he says he has been well supported through Gateway and now in his apprenticeship by the team at Network Waitaki. “Everybody has been patient and they’ve taught me a lot already. I’m excited to keep going.”

Network Waitaki Field Services Manager Nathan Cunningham says Gateway is an extremely useful programme as it helps the company get an idea of just how well potential apprentices might cope with different aspects of the job.

“It’s a job with some challenges like working outdoors in all weathers, and at heights. Gateway means we get to see these teenagers working in the company and get some insight into how they will adapt to what the job is.”

Nathan says Te Meihana attracted great reports back from his supervisors right from the start of his Gateway programme, saying he was keen, ready to learn and wanted to make the most of the opportunity. When his Gateway period ended the company offered Te Meihana temporary school holiday work before hiring him in their next apprenticeship intake in mid-January 2023.

As for Te Meihana, he urges other students to give the Gateway programme a try if they can. “It gives you the chance to try something different you might not have heard about before.”

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Then a student at Cromwell College, Kayleb participated in the Gateway Programme with NES Central, a local electrical services company, where he now works full-time as an apprentice line mechanic.

“Making the decision to leave school and all my friends was a challenge. Gateway gave me the chance to get out and see what the job is all about before committing to something long-term,” he says.

Attending NES Central several times a week with Gateway, Kayleb was able to observe and help on various jobs to gain an understanding of what being a line mechanic involved.

“You can’t do everything, because of health and safety, but you do learn a lot by observing and doing tasks that are at your skill level.

“I was really interested in the hiabs and I like working at heights, and that made me start to think this was a job I could really enjoy and see a future for myself in,” Kayleb says, adding he would recommend Gateway to others still at school but thinking about the career options.

“Gateway helps students who do not perform well in the education system to get on the pathway for a job that is suited for them. You don’t leave school and then find you hate the job you’re in that’s not suited to you.”

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