New Zealand's Electrical Apprentice of the Year, Rob Stockley has always enjoyed electronics and building projects.
So when Rob and wife Liz moved to Hawke's Bay to raise their two young daughters, he decided to turn a life-long interest into a burgeoning career and enrolled in EIT's pre-employment programme for the electrical trades.
"Going back to school was a challenging but necessary step towards becoming an electrician," says the 41-year-old from Hastings. "Electricity is unforgiving and a solid grounding in the basics is essential."
Studying for the Certificate in Electrical Trades, Rob says he was fortunate in having Grant Millar and Ray Lawrence amongst his tutors.
"Their passion for the electrical trade and their willingness to go the extra mile for struggling students is a credit to them and EIT. It was through my tutor Grant Millar that I was introduced to Fruit Handling Systems which led to my current job."