Forty-eight EPIC career seekers were invited to an EPIC Careers Hub at Mystery Creek Fieldays to explore the EPIC jobs available in infrastructure construction, chat with potential employers and even get hands-on with excavators and simulators.
Held alongside the Waikato Bay of Plenty Regional Excavator Operator Competition, students had the chance to watch some of Waikato and BOP’s top excavator operators in action. The careers hub ran from 15-16 June, providing opportunities for senior school and tertiary students who were interested in taking up the tools of the civil trades or starting a career in civil engineering to understand the opportunities on offer, as well as showcasing infrastructure construction careers to the crowds of people who flocked to Fieldays.
Activities were led by infrastructure construction companies including HEB Construction and Schick Civil Construction, and included having students operate a digger and talk to Civil Construction employees and their Career Teams. The team from Connexis (the infrastructure division of Te Pukenga) also featured, offering students a chance to experience a digger simulator and hear about the qualifications they could obtain working on the job. Waikato Post Ramming also sponsored a BBQ for the students.
Lynnette Ross from Hamilton Boys High School thanked the EPIC team for a great day out.
“A big thank you for the organisation and invitation for field days. The boys really enjoyed their experience.”
Jemma Seiuli from Te Wānanga o Aotearoa said her class had all had some interest sparked.
“Most of all, they enjoyed the digger simulator and then having the chance to give it a go in reality. The girls especially enjoyed the digger activity and beating the boys’ times.
“All the kids had never been to the field days before, so it was an awesome experience for them. Thank you again, we greatly appreciated it!”
The Fieldays event follows on from the EPIC Careers Hubs held at Central Districts Field Days alongside the National Excavator Operator Competition.
