“Ultimately, my career has landed me a role working in, on and around aircraft every day and I’m loving it.”
P owered by determination and dedication – along with an extra tutorial push from teachers and a College career connection – Jack Elvy (14821) has successfully launched his aeronautical engineering journey with Air New Zealand. At 20, Jack’s much sought-after five-year traineeship is under way, eventually culminating in a Level 4 Certificate in aircraft maintenance engineering. Today, he credits Technology teacher Gavin Love, Physics teacher Dr Andrew Taylor and Careers Advisor Chris Sellars with putting him on the right flightpath. “I was able to complete work experience at Air New Zealand in 2019, thanks to workplace connections through Gavin Love and Chris Sellars. That was a huge help in getting into the training school,” Jack says. “I was accepted into the Air New Zealand Academy of Learning in 2020, completing the Level
3 Certificate in aeronautical engineering.” That major achievement followed another helping hand from Christ’s College teachers at the end of his schooling. “Near the end of 2019, College also supported me with extra tutoring from generous staff who were willing to give up their time to assist me in studying for entrance exams to get into the training school. In particular, Dr Taylor was a huge help.” Jack also recalls being inspired at school by Gavin and Dr Mike Field, adding that “College has set me up with the core skills required to learn and study throughout my time at the training school and now my traineeship”. After a spell working as a fabricator/welder at Pegasus Engineering in Rolleston in 2020, Jack secured his Air New Zealand traineeship spot this year and was looking forward to “covering all the different areas of work”.
“Working at Pegasus Engineering gave me the ability to apply many engineering skills that I had learnt at College,” he says. “I found myself working on assembling and welding 50-ton K frames to assembling spiral staircases. Now, with Air New Zealand, I am fixing, maintaining and servicing a wide range of aircraft, from the US military Antarctic C130s to domestic and international Airbus A320/21s. Every day, I am constantly learning about aircraft systems and components and it’s awesome. “In 10 years, I would like to see myself working on aircraft and having completed all the relevant ratings licences needed to further my career in aviation. “Ultimately, my career has landed me a role working in, on and around aircraft every day and I’m loving it. After my traineeship with Air New Zealand I’ll be set up with skills and qualifications that will take me around the world.”
COLLEGE 2022
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