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Ricky Black – student testimonial

Ricky Black – student testimonial

27 Sep 2022

Student testimonial – Ricky Black

Firstly, why did you attend this course? Do you feel it delivered in that area?

I’m a commissioning engineer for Daikin, and I attended the Approved Filler course for refrigerant handling. This course is for people like me who fill containers with refrigerant gases under pressure.

Handling refrigerants is dangerous work, and you need training and an approved filler compliance certificate. Keeping up to date with compliance and safe working practices, is everyone’s responsibility. The course was very comprehensive and easy to understand for all skill levels. 

What were the highlights of the course?

I found the course contained lots of easy to understand and follow tutorials with written exams at the end of each section. The course covered safety issues, types of refrigerants, the practicalities of filling and risks, plus legislation and codes of practice. The whole experience was well structured and engaging.

Ricky Black

How did the facilitators enhance your learning experience?

It is great to work with tutors that have also worked in the industry. All the staff members at E-tec were really helpful and passionate about the trade, which enhanced all of our learning experience. Deirdre was exceptionally knowledgeable about all the aspects of the course we were participating in, and helped build confidence and keep it interesting.

What have you been able to achieve since taking our course?

I now feel more confident setting up a recovery plant, and being more aware of the safety aspect surrounding this procedure and how it impacts the environment.

Would you recommend it?

Yes, definitely. I do believe that this course has a lot to offer tradesmen, from all sectors of the industry. Whether you have been doing this for 2 or 22 years, upskilling keeps us all safe and aware. In this work there is no room for complacency.

Finally, how do you see the course helping others? Why?

This course is extremely beneficial for all those that either want to brush up on their skill base or have yet to recover refrigerant from live plant. I do believe there is something here for everyone.

Shiam Mohon student testimonial

Shiam Mohon student testimonial

28 Jun 2022

Student testimonial – Shiam Mohon

Firstly, why did you attend this course? Do you feel it delivered in that area?

I attended the Approved Fillers course hosted at E-Tec a couple of weeks ago to be able to receive a certificate in filling refrigerants, and to know the legalities involved in transporting and storing them safely.

The course hit the nail on the head by providing very thorough information not just in terms of NZ but on a global scale. It was helpful to learn conversions and the actual chemical make up of the different common and uncommon refrigerants used in our industry and what environmental impacts they could potentially have on people, sea life and the world.

What were the highlights of the course?

The highlights of the course for me were the practical exercises demonstrating safe and thorough procedures when filling refrigerants and how to correctly evacuate HVAC systems. The other highlights were learning about how legislation has impacted the type of refrigerants used in our industry and how older refrigerants have been phased out due to global warming and safety concerns.

Abhay Anand

How did the facilitators enhance your learning experience?

The course facilitators enhanced my experience majorly. Deidre was an extreme wealth of knowledge. She has valuable experience in the industry and is very well suited to hosting this course. She was very thorough and explained things in a way that was easy to grasp and relate to.

What have you been able to achieve since taking our course?

I have been able to receive my Approved Fillers certificate as a result of the course, and the knowledge I gained has impacted my work habits and processes.

Would you recommend it?

I would highly recommend this course to other people seeking to get their Approved Fillers certificate. Deidre makes the course relatable even for someone who has had zero experience, and is a very thorough course leader.

Finally, how do you see the course helping others? Why?

I see this course helping people understand safe working practices in the refrigeration industry and adapting them into their work methods. I highly recommend this course to anyone in the refrigeration industry.

Abhay Anand student testimonial

Abhay Anand student testimonial

20 May 2022

Student testimonial – Abhay Anand

Firstly, why did you attend this course? Do you feel it delivered in that area?

I already have electrical qualifications from Fiji, but in New Zealand the local electrical board requires a three-phase licence to practice, and some of the other requirements have changed in the last few years. This course helped me get everything I needed for that.

What were the highlights of the course?

The practical was really good, even someone who doesn’t know very much would be able to easily understand the content. The facilities were also nice and easy to get to.

What have you been able to achieve since taking our course?

I’m now going towards getting my full electrical licence. I’ve also gotten my full electrical service technician licence since taking the course, and I’ve done the ASPEQ examinations.

Abhay Anand

How did the facilitators enhance your learning experience?

The tutor John spoke very easily to everyone. He gave us extra time online to read all the materials beforehand, and so we could practice all the questions and answers afterwards as well. That was really helpful.

Would you recommend it?

Yes. Some apprentices are going to come and start working with us soon, and I’ll be teaching them and passing on the knowledge.

Finally, how do you see the course helping others? Why?

Nowadays, when things break people often just throw them away. Instead, all that stuff should be recycled. Most of these broken electrical items can be repaired. Parts can be easily changed, and they don’t need to end up at the dump. This course will help new students learn different ways to fix things, so stuff stops ending up in landfills unnecessarily.

We have to be more environment friendly. Electrical technicians can help reduce some of the waste that comes from broken appliances, and we need more of them. Hopefully, E-tec will train some so we can hire them!

 

To find out how you can transfer your overseas qualifications and register as an electrician in New Zealand, visit our Moving to NZ? page.

Gary Till student testimonial

Gary Till student testimonial

29 Apr 2022

Student testimonial – Gary Till

Firstly, why did you attend this course? Do you feel it delivered in that area?

Being a certified gas fitter and a service agent for Zenith a lot of the work I do involves electronics. I found I was in need of a course which would increase my knowledge of how to perform electrical tests as well as my understanding of how electrical components work.

Being able to test, fault find and potentially re-wire hot water cylinders myself is a great advantage not only to me but also my employer.

What were the highlights of the course?

The highlight of the course was the tutor. He had an excellent manner for teaching, he was very humorous at times and I found his knowledge of the subject was exceptional. He was able to answer any questions that were asked of him in a competent manner.

What have you been able to achieve since taking our course?

Since taking the course I now have the knowledge and confidence to tackle different jobs that I would have previously required the services of an electrician for. This not only saves me time, but also saves our client’s time and money, as we don’t have to schedule around the electricians any longer.

Sean Patrick

Would you recommend it?

I would definitely recommend this course to any plumber or gasfitter that is wanting to upskill and streamline their services.

Finally, how do you see the course helping others? Why?

It allows us to complete a job in a timely manner without incurring extra costs to the customer as we are able to complete the whole job ourselves. Also by having completed this course, it allows fellow plumbers and gasfitters to have more opportunities within the workforce, and enables them to be more attractive to prospective employers.

Why all electricians should upskill in programmable logic controllers

Why all electricians should upskill in programmable logic controllers

11 Apr 2022

Why all electricians should upskill in programmable logic controllers

​Automation technology is increasingly becoming a standard part of a wide range of operations, particularly industrial and manufacturing processes. In most cases that technology is enabled by a PLC or Programmable Logic Controller. 

Essentially, a PLC is a computer that receives data and outputs operating instructions. It is a combination of software and hardware and its role is to control the functions and automation of a system.  

PLCs have become an integral part of a wide range of operations and processes as different industries and manufacturers increasingly embrace automation as a way to become more streamlined and efficient. 

That means there is also an increasing demand for skilled workers who are able to install and programme PLCs. For electricians and electrical apprentices, having those skills opens up a wide range of new opportunities for career development and higher pay. 

Student watching a virtual class on his laptop

Just some of the applications for PLCs in automated systems include:

  • Wind turbine efficiency, safety and data monitoring 
  • Power generation, transmission and distribution 
  • Electricity smart grid monitoring and fault detection 
  • Energy management of boilers and kilns 
  • Conveyor belts and escalators operations 
  • Cement mixing 
  • Packaging and labelling 
  • Water pump control and monitoring 
  • Smart traffic controls 
  • Fire detection and alarm systems 
  • Automatic guided vehicle systems 
  • Automatic door opening 

Some of the different industries using PLCs include:

  • Electrical supply / Wind turbines 
  • Textiles
  • Automobiles
  • Food processing
  • Robotics
  • Glass manufacturing
  • Steel manufacturing
  • Dairy industry

Once you see how common the use of PLCs is becoming, it is easy to see why an increasing number of job vacancies for electricians require skills and knowledge around the installation, maintenance and programming of PLCs. 

E-tec’s one-day Programmable Logic Controller course will give you an excellent basic knowledge of PLCs including the ability to design, write and implement a simple programme.  

After completing the course electricians and apprentices will be able to demonstrate to potential (and current) employers that they have a good basic knowledge of PLC principles and software as well as be able to diagnose, find and fix faults. 

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