"Starting a Northpower cadetship allowed me to gain real world experience and explore working in the field. Currently, I am in my second year of study of the New Zealand Diploma in Engineering, as well as working for Northpower from their Hamilton base. I have learnt many practical skills and deepened my understanding of electrical theory in a way I could never have achieved solely through tertiary education.

In my time at Northpower I have had the opportunity to work in many different areas, including protection, inspection, and distribution. My most recent placement is in the Northpower Hamilton distribution department, who are responsible for keeping our customers safe and supplied with power. Working with them, I have seen the creation of an electricity network in a new housing development from the ground up, implementing the project plan step by step and learning valuable skills along the way. The team has taught me a variety of things, from reading the flow plan, to the structure of the network, to the planning involved reduce the risk of outages when there is a power failure. I have even had the chance to practice cable jointing first-hand, giving me a huge appreciation for the difficulty involved in the work the jointers do every day!

The cadetship has been a great experience for me, and I am grateful for the support from the distribution team while I have been here. They are happy to answer questions and improve your skills and have been instrumental in my professional development. Working at Northpower has been a learning experience from day one, and I know there will never be a shortage of new opportunities here."

- Yumi Kong