Waikato Business News June/July 2023

Event promotes
Hi-Vis to girls
Sophie Hulme, Jaide Snapes and Bianca
Stomp, Hamilton Girls High being fitted
with a line mechanic harness.
Hundreds of female secondary school
students from throughout the country
have just had a taste of a career in
infrastructure – and they’ve loved it.
The month-long series
of Girls with Hi-Vis
(GWHV) events is held
annually and Connexus - Te
Pūkenga executive director
Kaarin Gaukrodger says the
infrastructure industry keeps
New Zealand moving - roads
need replacing, water pipes
and systems upgrading, power
lines maintained and faster
broadband technology needs
installing – and the skills
required to deliver the future
face of infrastructure continues
to grow.
“These skillsets are in high
demand, particularly with the
current challenges to help get
the country back on track after
the recent storms and flooding
that has hit nationwide.”
GWHV showcased the
day-to-day roles of those
tradespeople keeping our
communities connected and
provides an understanding of
the career opportunities within
their local community within
Jaide Snapes, Hamilton Girls
High being shown how to add
insulation onto a cable.
infrastructure’s civil, energy,
telecommunications and
water industries.
Kaarin says GWHV is a
key driver to attracting more
young women to what is a male
dominated industry.
“If we are to effectively
address critical skills shortages
within infrastructure
industries, and meet the future
needs of our communities, it
is clear we must be more visible
precisely where and when
young people are making crucial
career decisions. And
that’s where Girls with Hi-Vis
comes in.”
Throughout the month of
June worksites around the
country become a learning
ground to encourage more
young women to begin a career
in infrastructure.
The students have donned
hi-vis vests and done it all from
driving diggers and trucks,
to climbing power poles and
checking out some of New
Zealand’s largest energy generating
assets.
A group of Hamilton Girls’
High School students had a
taste of what a day on the job
is all about at WEL Networks.
Hamilton Girls’ students
Jaide Snapes, Keilani Hadfield
and Sophie Hulme all took part
in the experience and loved the
idea of a career that takes them
out of the office.
“It (a career in infrastructure)
didn’t interest me before
but coming here has given me
more of a visual idea of what
it’s about. It was really practical
and hands on,” Jaide says.
“I really like seeing all the
different things you can do
and the things you learn from
the job - and that you can earn
while you learn. Today has
been very eventful and really
interesting to see all the activities
that make up the trade,”
Keilani says.
“I don’t want to sit behind
a desk all day. I’d get really
bored. I have family members
who work in this industry so
it seems like a really good idea
to me.
“I think GWHV helped
me realise this is something I
really want to do. It does really
Jaide Snapes and Sophie Hulme, Hamilton Girls High being shown
how to work together to connect electrical wire at the top of a pole.
interest me,” Sophie says.
WEL Networks organisational
development/HR advisor
Kayleen von Keisenberg
says supporting initiatives
like GWHV is a great way
of encouraging females into
the industry.
“We’ve had some great wins
and we are taking big steps,
working towards achieving our
Gender Tick.”
The Hamilton event was
attended by the Hon Nanaia
Mahuta who says the chance to
learn about career opportunities
in traditionally male dominated
industries is a chance to
break down barriers and show
other young women who are
successful in the energy sector.
“I’m delighted that more
effort is going into promote
trades training it’s certainly a
valid pathway supported by
the government.”
For the first time this year
some of the GWHV events
incorporated the construction
industry with BCITO - Te
Pūkenga, the construction
training provider and Earn-
Learn - Te Pūkenga who cover
specialist trades such as scaffolding,
plumbing, gasfitting
and drainlaying, and electrical.
The employers within these
industries are also looking to
attract more trainees and see
the GWHV events as a great
opportunity to do this.
The infrastructure industry
is leading the way when it
comes to employing women
in what has traditionally been
a male-dominated sector, last
Our team
DESIGNER
Kelly Gillespie
kelly@dpmedia.co.nz
DESIGNER
Warren Gilberston
design@dpmedia.co.nz
EDITORIAL
Janine Jackson
editor@dpmedia.co.nz
ADVERTISING
MANAGER
Joanne Poole
Ph: (07) 838 1333
Mob: (021) 507 991
joanne@dpmedia.co.nz
year proudly reaching a target
figure of 10% of women
trainees in the industry. This
has been a steady build on 11
years ago when 3% of trainees
were women.
PUBLISHER
Deidre Morris
Ph: (07) 838 1333
Mob: 027 228 8442
deidre@dpmedia.co.nz
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