Post Office after recruits

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 4, Issue 7, 15 July 1986, Page 7

Post Office after recruits

Jobs are hard to come by these days so it is a surprise to learn that at least one job is available in Ohakune but no-one has yet taken it on. Mike Burgess, who is chief technician at Ohakune Post Office, has two trainee positions in telecommunications which he has been trying to fill for some time. So far he has not been able to attract young people to the positions. Although there are two positions in fact only one at a time can be taken on because Ohakune's small staff of five would otherwise be overstretched. Mr Burgess says that the person he is looking for is essentially practical with an aptitude for working with their hands. But they also need the ability to gain an outside qualification. "And experience has

shown that only people who have done well in maths, physics and English at 6th form level are most likely to get through the Technicians' Certification Authority exams," he said. The qualified person becomes a certified engineering technician with specialisation in telecommunciation after three of four years work and study. The qualification can be used in other organisations should technicians leave the Post Office. The technicians' main function is to install and maintain the whole range of Post Ofice telecommunications equipment. Perhaps surprisingly Ohakune has a fairly comprehensive array of sophisticated equipment needed to cover the wide area it services.

In exceptional cases a candidate who has good school certificate marks but who has played around with hi-fi equipment or computers might be accepted. Mr Burgess said that salaries are slightly more attractive after a recent increase. At present a technician would be paid $24,000 on achieving the qualification. On leaving school they get about $12,000 depending on age and exams passed. Mr Burgess said that the Post Office was also after engineering bursars who would like to study at university. These students would be guaranteed vacation jobs during their study and would start work with the Post Office on an attractive salary.