Good people make Pentair careers GREAT!
Being able to figure stuff out and being motivated to learn are key skills for future engineers, but Pentair General Engineering Apprentice Jordan Richmond reckons sometimes learning the simple things is just as important…
“Working through my apprenticeship has taught me lots of different life skills, including the important of good time-management. Back in school I was always a bit late, but you can’t do that at work!”
Jordan, a former St Peters School of Cambridge student, says there are no shortcuts to becoming a great engineer – “you often have to go into depth to figure something out” – so being a keen problem solver is vital.
Jordan, a Level 4 apprentice, tells us more…
Jordan Richmond
General Engineering Apprentice
“Work is always a lot more enjoyable when you have good people around!“
A Chat with Jordan about his role
Jordan Richmond
Former St Peters School of
Cambridge Student
What is a General Engineering Apprentice?
General engineering is a bit of everything. So there’s a bit of fitting and turning, operating machines, welding, grinding, and using a lathe and other mills and machines.
What got you interested in this pathway?
My parents have been in the engineering industry for most of my life. I took metalwork at school and it just felt right, I really enjoyed it. So when I saw a job advertised here at Pentair I just applied and got straight into it.
What have you learnt on the job?
I started here with no knowledge really of anything and now, just over a year into it, I feel really comfortable operating those different machines. So I’ve learnt a lot about the machinery and how they work and the safety around them.
I’ve gotten into a good routine of being in work and on time which I had to learn a bit. Back in school I was always a bit late but you can’t do that at work! It’s taught me lots of skills with time-management.
What are some of the highlights of your job?
Working with a great bunch of people. There’s a really good culture here. Work is always a lot more enjoyable when you have good people around!
What’s your advice to someone thinking about a career in engineering?
Do a bit of research, talk to engineers, read some books, or have a look online to learn more about it and see if it’s something you’re interested in.
What advice do you have for keeping balanced and managing stress?
You’ve got to look after your body so have a good sleep schedule, make sure your body’s healthy and eat proper foods. Work can tire you out and a lot of things can go wrong if you’re lacking sleep or not feeling good.
What do you like about working at Pentair?
The culture here is really good, there’s good learning culture and being able to easily learn off of my peers and the people around me.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Actually a big one for me was “get a trade, you can always fall back on a trade!” – I’ve heard that one quite a lot!
Did you know?
Pentair delivers a comprehensive range of smart, sustainable water solutions to homes, business, and industry around the world. The company’s portfolio of solutions enables people, business, and industry to access clean, safe water, reduce water consumption, and recover and reuse it.
From about 130 locations in 34 countries, Pentair’s 10,000 employees are focused on the belief that the future of water depends on us all.
In Hamilton, Pentair hires people directly from school who are interested in apprenticeships including CNC operating and fitter-turning. Other good problem solvers and designers may come from university into draughting and design engineering roles.
Pentair is always looking for people with strong maths skills and the right attitude.
Find out more at
pentair.com
skills & education
What kind of skills or characteristics does someone need to have in this kind of role?
You’ve got to have that good time-management. Being motivated to learn – there’s no easy route with engineering, there are no shortcuts, so you have into more depth to figure something out. So being a problem solver is important too.
What school subjects are relevant to your job?
Science (Physics), English, Maths (Statistics & Calculus) and Metal Work.
BECOME A GENERAL ENGINEER:
You will need a New Zealand Certificate in Mechanical Engineering (Trade) (Level 4) with astrand General Engineering. It is recommended that people enrolling in a programme leading to this qualification will have NCEA Level 2 or equivalent. Most of the learning is practical work completed on-the-job.
Apprentices are also required to complete learning via an online platform and attend block courses for two–to–three weeks each year. Apprentices on this programme will learn to build, maintain and repair a broad range of machinery and equipment using fitting, machining, fabrication, hydraulics, pneumatics and welding skills and knowledge.
Find out more at
competenz.org.nz
Download a Snapshot of Jordan’s Career Profile
