Unison Cadet Says Attitude Is Everything

For Duane Awa, the thought of a career at Unison had never crossed his mind. That was until a seminar organised by Henare O’Keefe and the U-Turn Trust gave him the chance to find out more about employment and career opportunities within the business.

The seminar, delivered to twelve individuals in 2010, was a joint initiative between the U-Turn Trust, MAC Rugby and Unison Contracting Services Ltd (UCSL).

Having previously worked in the meat industry and timber retail, Duane had never considered entering into engineering.

“None of the guys at the seminar had ever thought about trying to get a job at Unison. But when I got the chance to hear more about the opportunities in the company, I thought it would be worth applying if something came up,” said Duane.

Once an employment vacancy came up, Duane applied immediately and, although he was unsuccessful in getting the role, his positive and eager attitude left a lasting impression on the interviewers.

“Duane was really impressive in the interview – he didn’t have quite the right skill set for the particular role, but he was just so positive and eager to learn that we knew he would be a great asset to Unison,” said UCSL Chief Executive Charles Kaka.

Soon after, Duane began a twelve month cadetship with Unison in 2011, and completed three rotations of three months with the company’s vegetation, lines, and fibre teams.

“It was a lot to take in over three months. There was just so much to learn. It was also interesting working within the different teams. The way they all work together to get a job done is amazing,” he said.

But for Duane it was the fibre rotation that he really connected with.

“To be honest when I heard about fibre optics I thought it was something I would need to go away and study for four years to do but, once I had the opportunity to get some hands-on experience working with fibre, it all made sense and came quite naturally to me. I just needed the confidence to give it a go, and to listen and try to learn as much as I could.”

During his rotations he was not only learning the language of the electricity industry, but adapting to speaking English as his main language during his working day.

“Maori is my first language, so it took a little time to get used to communicating in English, especially with the technical terminology of the job,” said Duane, who still uses Maori when he’s at home with his wife and three children.

Duane feels that a lack of self-confidence often prohibits people like him from approaching companies like Unison for employment.

“I know a lot of guys who would love to work in an organisation like this, but they just don’t know how to approach a company or even have the confidence to put themselves forward. There are a lot of really great workers out there who would appreciate an opportunity like I have had. The U-Turn Trust and Unison have certainly helped me to create a whole new career.”

ENDS

© Scoop Media