Trust scholarships provide for a switched on career

Oscar Langley, a scholarship recipient in 2016 in front of the Kopepeo Substation. Photo/Supplied

The Eastern Bay Energy Trust will award its 100th scholarship to support local people to train for a career in the electricity industry.

In a press release the trust said applications for study in 2017 will close on October 31 and senior students from Opotiki, Whakatane, Kawerau, and Kaingaroa Village were eligible to apply for assistance to study in a number of energy related fields.

Last year student Oscar Langley was one of seven who secured a scholarship and he encouraged other young people to 'go for it'.

"I wasn't sure what I wanted to do when I left school, but after a week on the Taster Course, an electrical trade really stood out."

A suggestion to apply for the Taster Course, run by the Energy Trust and Connexis, sparked a interest which prompted Langley to apply for a scholarship.

Mr Langley travels to Tauranga, car-pooling with another student, to undertake a Level 3 Certificate in Electrical Engineering at BOP Polytechnic, but come Friday he is part of Horizon Energy's technical team.

"With the scholarship came an internship at Horizon, so I have one day a week out in the field. I really like it because we are always going different places. Lately we are spending a lot of time on the rebuild of the Galatea sub-station," he said.

Eastern Bay Energy Trust Manager Rawinia Kamau said Mr Langley Oscar was a great example of someone who had taken advantage of the opportunities provided by the trust to work towards a career in the electricity industry.

The Eastern Bay Energy Trust Scholarship Programme started in 2003 and trustees have since awarded almost $400,000.

Full details of the scholarship requirements, eligibility criteria and application forms are available at ebet.org.nz.