Invercargill apprentice Anare Elers wins national trainee cable jointer title at his first attempt

It was the joint that did it. Midway through the national trainee cable jointer competition, PowerNet apprentice Anare Elers found himself working through a high-voltage inline joint, the toughest of the tasks, and finishing it without turning to anyone for help. "If I remember correctly," he says, it was "the first complete joint I've done by myself where I haven't had to ask someone for advice".

That joint helped carry the Invercargill apprentice to first place in the trainee cable jointer competition at Annual Connection 2026, held in Pukekohe. It was his first time at the event, and only the second time the trainee competition has been run. Elers beat three other apprentices from electricity companies around the country across two practical, skills-based tasks and a theory test.

"I'm really proud of myself for getting out of my comfort zone and giving it a crack," he says. He went in to get more exposure to the industry and to test himself, and to bring home as much knowledge as he could. The win, he admits, was not part of the plan. "I was in a state of shock. It took a while for it to register when my name was called."

Annual Connection is a three-day run of skills competitions for people who work in New Zealand's electricity supply industry, from line mechanic crews to cable jointers and apprentice electricians. It is managed by Connexis, the national infrastructure industry training organisation, and this year Counties Energy hosted it. Elers, who has been training through Connexis with PowerNet since 2025, says meeting people from around the country who do the same kind of work was a highlight alongside the trophy.

He was not the only Invercargill name on the honours list. At the Connexis Energy Trainee Awards that closed the event, Jessie King, a power technician with Omexom in Invercargill, was named Advanced Trainee of the Year.

Back home, Elers says he loves the on-the-job learning and the outdoor work that comes with the apprenticeship. "The crew I work with are a great bunch of lads. We're always outdoors which is great, though some days are better than others weather-wise in Southland."

For anyone weighing up the same path, his advice is short and plain. "Be prepared for some hard mahi. Take safety seriously and just bring a good attitude." Win or lose, he says, nobody will regret giving it a go.

"It can be a really rewarding job knowing that you're keeping people's power on."

More about the competitions, and about careers in the industry, is at annualconnection.co.nz and connexis.org.nz.