Chloe Guthrie and Tia Fasi from EA Networks will be among the crews from New Zealand’s top energy sectors competing at Connection in Christchurch later this month.
It’s a competition for those in the energy sector to show off their skills.
Guthrie and Fasi are in the cable jointing competition.
This year’s competition has a record number of women registered to take part.
The three-day competition involves a series of skills-based challenges, for line mechanic crews and cable jointers from the country’s electricity supply companies.
There are also new events including a competition specifically designed for trainee cable jointers, and another aimed at testing the skills of supply industry electrical apprentices.
Guthrie, a 21-year-old, is entered in the main cable jointing competition and Fasi, age 18, will be competing in the new trainee cable jointing competition.
The experience will be a first for both women, and they’re working hard to prepare and talking to colleagues who have entered before.
Guthrie said in a statement one of her fellow cable jointers at EA Networks had been a judge and competitor himself and had explained the competition to her.
‘‘I thought it would be fun and a great learning opportunity,” Guthrie said, of her decision to enter.
She joined EA as an apprentice cable jointer in 2022, and qualified in May this year.
“I’m having training moments with fellow workers who have been in the competition themselves, and I’m constantly working on my techniques on day-to-day jobs,” she said.
Fasi, began her cable jointing apprenticeship in mid-2024. She said although the thought of competing was “quite daunting” she was getting plenty of support from those around her.
“Everyone has been very forthcoming with their own experiences; the likely skills and knowledge I’ll need and the overall structure of the competition. I’m confident they’ll provide me with anything I’ll need.
‘‘I’ll just try my best. I’m looking forward to the learning experience and the challenge I’ve set for myself,” she said.
Fasi first heard about cable jointing as a career while completing a pre-trades course after leaving school with plans to become an electrician.
“It was the physicality and utter complexity of the work that appealed. I had absolutely no idea what they were doing but I was instantly enticed,” she said.
For Guthrie, cable jointing was also a career option new to her, though she was familiar with the work of EA Networks through her dad, who also works for the company.
“I started by doing work experience at EA Networks in cable jointing and loved it right away, so I wanted to keep coming back and learning more,” Guthrie said.
“As a woman you might need to learn some techniques to make things work for you as we don’t have the same strength as others, but I’ve loved learning and becoming part of a team, and showing that girls can fit in and do the same jobs as men.”
Fasi said she genuinely loved her job despite only being over a year in.
She had nothing but good things to say about the experience.
‘‘Every job has its difficulties and challenges but the reward is worth the risk,” she said.
At the competition, Guthrie and Fasi will be joined by an EA Network line mechanic team and fellow cable jointers Keizer Bulagni, Logan Sturm, Franco Heinse and Leith Naughton.
This year more than 100 of New Zealand’s best line mechanics and cable jointers will be competing in the event co-hosted by sponsors Orion, Connetics and EA Networks.
