NZ's Top Electrical Tradies Compete To Electrify NZ At Annual Connection 2024.

Sparks are set to fly in the Waikato later this month as New Zealand’s best line mechanics and cable jointers go head-to-head in a competition designed to showcase the electricity supply industry skills that keep the country connected.

Annual Connection 2024 will see cable jointers and line mechanic teams from energy companies around the country competing over three days and judged across a series of activities designed to test and showcase their skills and expertise.

Connexis executive director Kaarin Gaukrodger says the electricity supply industry faces some big challenges ahead with the Government’s drive to reduce the country’s carbon footprint.

“Harnessing renewable energy and electrifying New Zealand is the way of the future and will require a significant number of more skilled people to achieve this. It’s forecasted that we will need an electricity supply workforce twice the current size to meet our targets.”

Electrifying New Zealand’s economy is a key part of the Government’s plan to grow our economy and reduce emissions to achieve Net Zero 2050.

The plan means taking advantage of New Zealand’s abundant renewable energy resources, so that our homes, cars, buses, trains, ferries, and manufacturers are increasingly powered by wind, water, sun, geothermal and other emerging options.

“This also presents challenges for the industry in how it will train the people to deliver on this increase in demand and changing skill requirements as new energy sources grow,” Gaukrodger says.

“Training our local workforce will be key as countries around the world are facing the same challenges for skilled workers to deliver on renewable energy development and maintenance. The good news is that it means more jobs for New Zealanders.”

With increasing the workforce top of mind, Annual Connection presents a unique opportunity each year to raise the profile of the electricity supply industry as a career option and showcase the skilled people who keep New Zealand connected and the value their work brings to their local communities to ensure our lives can be healthy and prosperous.

The event that is proudly managed by infrastructure industry training provider Connexis, is this year to be hosted by local lines companies Waipā Networks and The Lines Company and will be held at Te Awamutu’s Castleton Park on 22-24 October.

“The opportunity, not just to compete but to share knowledge, promote excellence, and connect skilled workers from across New Zealand who will be our industry’s future leaders is a vital part of creating a diverse and skilled workforce willing to develop and grow,” Gaukrodger says.

“Typically, the kind of work these skilled workers are doing goes unseen in the backcountry, so Annual Connection gives them a platform to demonstrate what they know, and test that against others from across the motu.”

Annual Connection is also an opportunity for school students to see energy 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 event will close with the Connexis Excellence Awards, celebrating and recognising the country’s top electricity supply industry trainees.

Gaukrodger says Connexis is thrilled to be partnering with two hosts in The Lines Company and Waipā Networks to bring Annual Connection to central Waikato.

“Both these companies have been closely involved with Annual Connection over the years, and for The Lines Company, it provides an exciting opportunity to defend their title on home ground as the overall winner of the Line Mechanic Competition in 2023.

Taking the competition to the regions provides the local energy companies an opportunity to showcase their work within the local community, reach out to schools to entice their future workforce, showcase their region to the electricity supply industry and allows their friends and whanau to see what these lineys and jointers get up to on a daily basis.”

The Lines Company (TLC) is a community-owned electricity distribution company based in Te Kuiti, servicing the King Country and central North Island. A crew from The Lines Company won the 2023 overall competition and will compete in Te Awamutu this month as defending champions.

TLC chief executive Mike Fox says Annual Connection is a fantastic opportunity for people to see energy supply workers in action, explore career options and learn what goes into keeping the lights on.

“It’s hugely important to acknowledge and celebrate skills within our industry,” Fox says. “It is especially important when we know that, like other sectors, the energy sector is facing an upcoming skills shortage. The more we can do to showcase the great job opportunities available, the better.

“We’re thrilled to be a co-sponsor of the event this year, especially given we’re the defending champions! So we’ll be at the competition with bells on, supporting our team, talking to our stakeholders and engaging with as many people as possible. It’s going to be a great event and I’m really looking forward to it.”

Waipā Networks owns and operates the electrical network powering the Waipā region around Cambridge, Te Awamutu and Kāwhia areas.

Waipā Networks chief executive Sean Horgan says hosting Annual Connection is an excellent way for the company to showcase its work in its own backyard.

“This fantastic event will once again shine a light on the crucial mahi and skills our teams use daily to keep the lights on our communities and make sure our customers stay connected,” Horgan says.

“Annual Connection is not only an opportunity to highlight the exciting career opportunities in our sector, but it also serves as a platform to bring attention to the increasing demand for electricity in Aotearoa.

“With the demand projected to double by 2050, we anticipate electricity distribution companies across the country will need to recruit an additional 150 people annually to manage this growth. As a growing region here in Waipā, with an impending population boom, it brings home the importance of attracting new talent to meet these demands.”

About Connexis
Connexis is a division of Te Pūkenga, New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology. Connexis arranges, delivers, supports, and assesses work-based learning for the infrastructure industries of Civil, Energy, Telecommunications, and Water. Te Pūkenga brings together on-the-job, on-campus, and online vocational education and training through a unified, sustainable network of regionally accessible provision.

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