A Life on the Open Road

When Whangarei teenager Kushla Chapman looked for a career, she was sure of one thing - she didn't want to be stuck in an office every day. Now aged 24 years, and close to qualifying, her job as an electrician and metering technician for Hamilton firm Electrix takes her on the road from Taihape to Kaitaia. 

 

Kushla says she "went hard-out" researching what to do, because she didn't want to put a lot of effort into something that she didn't like. "I'm a handson person and I couldn't picture myself in an office. I looked into all the different trades that I could do like building and engineering and electrical," Kushla says. I

 

n the end the money decided her - as a metering technician she expects to earn at least $23 an hour, and the job has longevity. "I wanted a job I could do until I was 70 or something, and I can do that with this job," she says. 

 

She says it's a job with a lot of travel and a certain amount of fresh air, and she enjoys the fact that it's different and has variety. "If I was only in one office day in and day out I'd go mental. We've got dozens and dozens of different sites that we go to, and I really love the travelling. It's really cool." She has friends and family all over the country, so the job lets her visit them frequently. 

 

Kushla fixes faults and checks equipment such as voltage and current transformers in the substations that transfer power around the top half of the North Island. It's very technical work, and she needs good maths skills to do it. It is also physically challenging. "I love physical stuff, because it's good for you." 

 

It can be dangerous working with high voltage equipment, but she feels women have an advantage in this kind of work. "We're more thorough, I reckon."

 

She has already had the experience of watching one of the guys connect the earth lead for some test equipment to the wrong place after ignoring the clearly marked "safe" section. "He went and put it on something live. It was 33,000 volts, so it just went 'Boom!' and there was this big lightning bolt. The whole ground just sizzled and these stones went flying everywhere."

 

But Kushla feels sure she won't be making that mistake. "I reckon we're more careful than guys. I check all the time that something's safe."

 

There are a few other female electricians and line mechanics working at Electrix but it's a mainly male work environment. Kushla prefers that to an all-female workplace. "I have such a good time with all these guys, they're really cool. They're wicked!"

 

Because metering technicians and electricians are in high demand, Kushla expects to have considerable freedom to move around in the future. "The industry that we're in is so specialised that not many people do it." 

 

In total, her training took three and a half years, starting with a six-month level two electrician course at the Waikato Institute of Technology. Kushla says she could have finished in a shorter time if she had wanted. "It's completely dependent on the person. It's not a set three years; it's when you get your butt into gear." 

 

Kushla earned $12 an hour when she started with Electrix, and the rate was increased every time she passed a level or got a credit. Near the end of her apprenticeship, she is on $16.50. Kushla thinks she'll make around $23 an hour once qualified. "Well, that's what I'm going to ask. I'm pretty confident. You never get anything if you don't ask."