Engineered to Excel:

During school I did Trades Academy at Wintec, which was one day a week. I did a Level 2 Manufacturing and Technology Certificate, then the following year I did Level 3 Mechanical Engineering. I also gained some micro credentials in electricity supply at WEL Networks, as I wasn’t sure if I was set on doing engineering. Here I learnt how power is generated and transported to homes and businesses, as well as some work on power lines and cables.

I am now eight months into my apprenticeship at Longveld, while studying a Bachelor of Engineering with Honours, Majoring in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Waikato. I do this by taking two hours off work on Mondays for my part-time study and do two papers a semester. Having the knowledge from an apprenticeship is a good base for what I learn through the uni. There can be differences of opinion between tradesman and engineers so being able to see it from both points of view is beneficial.

While I was studying at Wintec, I received an Excellence Award in Level 2 Manufacturing and Technology. This award was sponsored by Longveld, and Pam the CEO was the one who presented the award. When speaking to Pam she said I was welcome to reach out if I was looking for work experience. Once I finished at school I contacted Pam asking if they were hiring as I was interested in a job at Longveld, and they took me on.

The biggest things I have picked up is welding and how to use different machinery and equipment to form and shape metal. We learn all types of welding across our workshops, such as fillet welding, pipe welding, mig, tig, and stick welding.

Fillet welding is essentially when you have a right angle and are welding in the corner of the two sheets of metal.

I honestly started Trades Academy as I wanted a day off school, but after going there I found the work really fun. I enjoyed the hands on work and making stuff with a bunch of small pieces that come together. I like that I get to contribute to larger scale projects, like the sculptures we make at Longveld. Being able to see these get installed knowing I was a part of the process is a great feeling. I wouldn’t otherwise get to work on these projects or with this equipment.

My biggest challenge was around my mindset of trying to fit in and prove myself. I often was hard on myself when I would make mistakes, so adapting to learn from these rather than beat myself up over it.

It took a while to find my place in the industry, particularly being a women in trades. “Being in a traditionally male-dominated industry came with its challenges, but Longveld’s culture of mutual respect and collaboration helped me feel supported while I built confidence in my skills.” This comes back to those relationships within the team, getting to know your co-workers and giving them time to get to know me. This came with time and also developing my skills to gain more confidence in myself. “Early on, I was eager to get up to speed and took every opportunity to learn — but I’ve since found a healthier balance thanks to Longveld’s supportive team culture and the flexibility the 4-day week provides.”

Try find some work experience so you can try it out and see if it is suitable for you. Often work experience allows you to grow your personal network and may even lead into an apprenticeship. A lot of companies look for people who have done a bit of work experience. A lot of people start off as labourers, so stick this out before you are taken on as an apprentice.

We use a surprising amount of maths in fabrication, I was surprised how much I end up using maths for my apprenticeship paper work. I think it’s also good to have a rough understanding of physics and how things move. We work with cranes and lifts so knowing a bit of physics helps with use, health and safety and also design.

Be open and willing to learn, don’t give up, and listen to everyone around you. Take everything on board, ask questions if you are unsure of something, people won’t judge. I also think I have learnt how important it is to take health and safety seriously, so wearing all your correct PPE to prevent injury.

I found it interesting when I started seeing all sculptural work we do. I didn’t orginally realise Longveld did these so it was crazy to see how we alter our methods from what we normally do to make things more artistic.  

I always try to remind myself that it is okay to say no when asked to do overtime. Often I put pressure on myself to come in during busy times. I’ve learned how important it is to listen to your body and set healthy boundaries. The 4-day week has made a big difference – even when I choose to do overtime, I can still enjoy proper downtime and recover well. As Longveld hours are Monday-Thursday our overtime is on Fridays, so often I will take a half day of overtime and still get a good weekend for work life balance.

I eventually want to move into an office position and work as a Design Engineer. But the opportunities within this industry are broad. The skills are highly transferable, you may become a project engineer, move into another trade or progress to a health and safety role. Often health and safety and tradesman have a big divide, so being able to sympathise with the people in the workshop makes you much better in this role.

I eventually want to move into an office role. Work in the design space as a design engineer.