Growing firm casts net close and wide in search of engineering talent

Kristian Jensen (far left) with some of the team at Electropar. Photo / Supplied

It's one of the biggest industries in the world and a home-grown Kiwi company has carved up its fair share. Energy company Electropar has grown from a small family business 50 years ago to employing a staff of about 110 today, but has now come face-to-face with the skills shortage.

Managing director Kristian Jensen says the company has recruited 25 people over the past seven months and is still looking.

"I still have a chief engineer's post. I have a quality manager and that's a very technical job," Jensen says.

Jensen is also looking for a welding supervisor and a South Island regional manager. Electropar was purchased by American-based Preformed Line Products last year and works with everything from broadband communications to petrochemicals.

Jensen says it has been a struggle finding the people he needs. The specialist welding supervisor position has been advertised for four months.

"We've cast our net further afield. We're pulling people from Australia, South Africa, the UK, Europe and Asia."

But simply reaching overseas is not the answer, Jensen says. Recruits need to be technically capable but they also need to fit into the team environment. "You need somebody who you can trust and who you've met face-to-face and understands the culture and the drive within your company."

Electropar is working with local organisations to generate talent - the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, University of Canterbury, Manukau Institute of Technology, school leavers' programmes, temporary vocation employment and cadetships.

But the youths need to have maths and science acumen and it's not easy. "We offer them a structured environment," Jensen says.

"We'll take six on for three weeks and in the first two or three days, a couple of them will be out the door because they just don't fit and can't handle it. But the others will blossom."

Electropar also needs engineers within the research and development arena. Career pathways exist where employees can go from a CAD engineer to the laboratory through to working in the field or a chief engineer's post. Electropar also has secondment arrangements where engineers can work around the world.

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