Every year as part of Annual Connection, the country’s top line mechanic crews come
together to compete in a range of skills-based activities, with one team judged the winner.

Each crew is made up of five line mechanics from electricity supply companies of all sizes
from all parts of the country.

Over the three days of Annual Connection each team completes a series of about 14 different activities designed to test their technical knowledge, on-the-job skills, and health and safety practices as well as testing how crew members work together to solve problems, install equipment and deal with emergencies.

Teams are judged over the three days of competition by a judging panel of highly experienced experts chosen from within New Zealand’s electricity supply industry (ESI).

The winning team is announced as part of the Connexis Excellence Awards held on the
final night of Annual Connection each year.

As well as a chance to show off their incredible skills and expertise, Annual Connection offers New Zealand’s line mechanics a chance to connect with each other, share experiences and learn from each other.

It offers a unique opportunity to show off the work they do to keep New Zealand connected, work that often goes unseen and under-appreciated in remote areas.

The competition is also a chance for the industry as a whole to showcase just how skilled, varied and in demand careers in the ESI really are.