Meet the 82-year-old historian turned wastewater treatment trainee

When Hugo Manson took a occupation moving successful wastewater treatment, the 82-year-old expected it to beryllium abbreviated term.

Manson, who antecedently worked arsenic a historiographer and researcher, joined wood solutions concern Juken New Zealand astir 4 years ago, initially moving arsenic a cleaner astatine the company’s Wairarapa mill.

When a occupation came up successful the wastewater treatment department, Manson was asked to measurement successful until an apprentice could beryllium found.

“I did that expecting it to beryllium conscionable for a abbreviated time, but to my delight, it ended up being longer than expected,” helium said.

The occupation piqued his involvement successful wastewater attraction and Manson decided to instrumentality connected ceremonial training, enroling successful the level 4 New Zealand Certificate successful Wastewater Treatment done infrastructure grooming supplier Connexis.

“I didn’t request to bash it, but, fixed my probe background, I americium ever funny successful the underlying reasons for things, and however they work,” helium said.

“The full country of wastewater conscionable seems truthful important successful the discourse of the situation and sustainability, truthful I conscionable wanted to cognize much astir what seems to beryllium an highly absorbing field.”

Manson is 1 of a increasing fig of older New Zealanders taking up trades and vocational training.

Figures from Education Counts amusement determination were 71,355 learners aged 40 years and implicit enrolled successful vocational acquisition and grooming successful 2019.

Last year, that fig had risen by astir 7000 to 78,280.

Dr Megan Gibbons, Pourangi Mātauranga maine ngā Pūnaha Ako, lawman main enforcement world centre and learning systems astatine Te Pūkenga, said portion beingness often took radical down a peculiar route, determination could travel a clip erstwhile they realised their passionateness laic elsewhere.

“That’s erstwhile they mightiness deliberation astir what they are truly funny successful and determine to prosecute that calling, adjacent if it means starting again, down a fewer rungs of the ladder.

“Maybe they are looking for an accidental to enactment for themselves, oregon possibly they privation to larn caller skills for the betterment of their future.”

Te Pūkenga’s enrolment figures showed it had conscionable implicit 58,500 students aged 40 oregon supra engaged successful vocational training.

That was astir 25% of full enrolments, a proportionality which had stayed reasonably dependable since 2020.

Of those mature ākonga, 22,734 were progressive successful work-based learning, with the equilibrium successful campus-based courses.

“Earning portion you learn, via on-the-job training, is an charismatic enactment for mature students to attack a career-change,” she said.

“Of course, our older ākonga look challenges. Many are not lone studying, they are besides working, looking aft whānau, oregon person assemblage roles and responsibilities.

“Many person not undertaken ceremonial survey successful galore years [and] navigating these competing demands tin beryllium precise challenging.”

However, older learners had a batch to offer, Gibbons said.

“Older ākonga bring beingness acquisition to their grooming and a existent enthusiasm for their chosen caller vocation path.”

In Manson’s case, his acquisition has helped him forge a coagulated narration with his 24-year-old colleague, Stephen Meyrick.

“I person been precise fortunate successful the past fewer months to enactment with Stephen, and we’ve truly deed it off.”

Meyrick said the brace complemented each different well, and were capable to play disconnected each other’s strengths.

For Manson, that meant getting assistance with immoderate of the much mathematical parts of the job.

“It volition ever beryllium the happening I person to enactment hardest at, it’s ne'er been 1 of my strengths. I’ve truly had to spell backmost to basics of things similar algebra.”

In return, helium supports Meyrick, who is dyslexic, with readings and assessment.

“Work is ne'er boring, each time is simply a antithetic conversation, with immoderate affable arguments astir who is close and incorrect astir things,” Meyrick said.

“It would beryllium a batch much boring doing it connected my own.”

Manson said helium appreciated the accidental to enactment intimately with idiosyncratic of a overmuch younger generation.

“It’s an accidental to swap ideas, and tackle problem-solving not conscionable with a workfellow but idiosyncratic who comes from a wholly antithetic generation, with antithetic vigor and a crisp intellect. Every time is interesting.”

JNL grooming coordinator Adrian Greig said the affable contention betwixt Manson and Meyrick had helped support their information up.

“It’s been truly bully having Hugo to mentor Stephen, and seeing however good they person worked together. I deliberation doing an apprenticeship and grooming is easier if you person someone, different than a supervisor, you tin bounce your ideas disconnected and inquire questions. It’s worked retired truly well,” Greig said.

Although his occupation successful the wastewater works volition soon travel to an end, Manson has nary plans to enactment his feet up.

“I truly hatred the thought of not working, and it tin beryllium rather hard to get a job, truthful I’m precise grateful to beryllium moving astatine JNL, which is conscionable a fantastic spot to work.

“I bash privation to bash much probe enactment successful wastewater. I conscionable request different 30 oregon 40 years to realise what I person planned.”