Gateway Placement 2024 - Nicholas Chettleburgh

By Nicholas Chettleburgh | Posted: Tuesday September 17, 2024

I am undertaking my Gateway experience at Otago Electrical & Communications.

I am interested in becoming a sparky. Out of this experience, I hope to get a better understanding of what it's like working in the electrical industry and see if it's something I want to do when I finish school.

I have mostly been installing new lights in houses, schools and commercial buildings. I have learnt new skills, like wiring up a terminal and working with new tools that I've never had anything to do with. On a typical day on placement, I help remove lights and other things, and then get all the new lights ready to be put up and do a few myself. We mostly work in and around Dunedin, but I have been to Milton to help fix a central vacuum system.

When I am out on placement, it's normally just me and one other person. The person I work with changes each week.

There is not much public interaction, but there's the odd person who is at home and welcomes us.