In the spirit of International Women’s Day (March 5) Ellie Pugh (17) is carving herself a successful career in the energy sector.
The annual ‘Girls with Hi-Vis’ initiative driven by the Infrastructure Industry Training Organisation (ITO) Connexis was responsible for introducing and recruiting Pugh to the sector.
Pugh is the only woman in MainPower Rangiora’s field services department, and according to Rob Wilson, MainPower Operations Manager, she’s a great ambassador for young women wanting a career in the industry.
“She’s been the perfect addition to the team since she started in September last year. She does her job well, and fits in,” says Wilson.
Wilson says having Pugh on the team in the male-dominated workplace is positive.
“Many staff had preconceptions about women not being robust enough to do the job, but Pugh has opened their eyes, and she’s changing ingrained views and prejudices.”
Wilson says that diversity in the workplace means much more than just gender and ethnicity.
“Globally it has become linked to innovation and diversity of experience and thought. We’ve certainly noticed and appreciated a different balance since Pugh joined the team,” he says.
Pugh is out in the field working for MainPower and says that every day is different, which she loves.
“Sometimes we get called away to a fault and are then often called away again to a higher priority fault. Prioritisation is a big part of this job. Another day we might just be doing service boxes in a subdivision,” says Pugh.
“I’ve been spending time with different teams, depending on what skills I’m learning. At the moment I’m with the ‘underground’ team, although sometimes I go out with the cable jointers. Over the next few months, I’ll start to go out with the lines team,” she says.
Pugh’s immediate goal is to complete 2 1/2 year apprenticeship, which she is five months into, and her Level 2 NZ Certificate in Electricity Supply (Introductory).
Her advice to women considering the energy industry as a career is to be realistic.
“It’s a great industry to work in, but it’s not glamorous. You have to be prepared to pick up a shovel and work in the rain. You need to have a good sense of humour and a thick skin,” says Pugh
Women account for 50% of the New Zealand population, but less than 4% of Connexis trade and technical trainees.
Through the ‘Ultimit – Women in Infrastructure’ project, Connexis have been championing the increase of women into the industry since 2010.
One of Ultimit’s key initiatives is ‘Girls with Hi-vis’, held in June, which sees women throughout the country ‘try their hand’ at work for the day at various Energy, Telecommunications, Waters and Civil Infrastructure companies.
Last year’s event saw more than 50 women rolling up their sleeves and ‘giving Infrastructure a go’.
MainPower participated in Girls with Hi-Vis for the first time last year, and hope to be involved in June 2017.
It is planning to invite along to talk to attendees, as well as some male staff to talk about females working in the industry from their perspective.
Attracting more people to the Infrastructure Industry as a whole – and not only women – is key to addressing a rapidly growing sector.
In 2016, the NZ Government released its 30 Year Infrastructure Plan, which outlined a $110 billion investment in Infrastructure.
This project represents a huge amount of activity with the demand for competent, qualified people at an all-time high. It is forecasting that a further 49,000 people will be required for the infrastructure workforce by 2025.
For more information on Girls with Hi-Vis
