Why?

The ability to provide a reliable electricity supply to New Zealand is under threat.

You will see articles in the media regarding concerns of being able to keep the power on and decarbonisation whilst meeting the required timescales is going to be very difficult and unlikely. These concerns aren’t  just limited to our transmission network, but relevant to distribution and generation

An element of this problem is the lack of technical people within the industry which can be classed as the “skills gap” and in particular “Practical skills”. There are numerous surveys, media coverage and concerns raised by the industry indicating that there is a number of older engineers that are leaving the industry, leaving knowledge gaps that need to be filled by small amounts of graduates and remaining engineers.

In turn this creates a lack of skills and indirectly is having a negative effect on these in the industry where there is an element of our engineers being busy all the time. And the lack of knowledge combined with the stress of getting things right does not bode well for the psyche of our workforce. It is understood that the problem that we are facing is complex and that is almost impossible to completely resolve, however reducing the gap will help those in the industry.

Several industry members refuse to stand by and let this practical skills gap knowledge and experience go un-checked, and in response created the EPPTA

Who and What?

The EPPTA (Electrical Professional Practical Training Association) is part of a solution to the Power Industry skills gap problem. We have been evolving over the last two years since an EEA presentation in 2022 (Link Here) with the aim to help with the provision of practical training for the Power Industry, working with all concerned to create a win-win situation for all stakeholders affected by the skills gap.

What Have we Done?

Over the last two years we have been developing a plan on how we can help the industry bridge this gap carrying out the relevant research into the industry and developing a plan on how we could set up an association that can contribute to a part way solution .

Our first two initiatives we are looking to implement is the creation of a practical training facilities and develop a stronger communication network that can utilise the existing facilities better and share the training resources. Being the multiplying factor. (3+3+3) = 9 whereas (3x3x3) = 27.

What’s Next?

We are currently developing plans going forward on both initiatives and looking to get stakeholders of the industry to invest in our cause.

None of this can be done without the support from the industry and this is where you come in.

Hop on board to support and share our experience of our contribution towards “keeping the lights on”.

Visit our website, find out more, and register you interest so that we can pull the industry together to “help bridge the practical skills gap, and keeping the lights on”!