Tania Apera
Lead Systems Engineer, Avaroa Cable Limited, Rarotonga, Cook Islands
Bachelor of Engineering Technology in Electronic Engineering
Deciding to study at AUT was easy, says Cook Islander Tania Apera who graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering Technology in Electronic Engineering in 2017.
“Initially I was interested in becoming a qualified technical engineer in the aviation industry, looking after navigational aids, radio and IT, and a prerequisite for this career was a qualification and background in electronics or telecommunications.
“When I started to explore my study options with AUT, I had no doubt that I would pursue the Bachelor of Engineering Technology in Electronic Engineering. I had friends who had studied at AUT and the university is known for working with students to complete their studies successfully. For me, ensuring that my time away from the Cook Islands would be well spent was important, and AUT seemed like a university that would help me achieve my goals.”
The right university environment
For Tania, there were many highlights throughout her time studying at AUT.
“I enjoyed the diverse atmosphere, particularly meeting friends from different ethnicities, interests, walks of life and ages; all of whom have become really good friends. I’d most definitely recommend the electronics, engineering or IT programmes if you have the interest and love the challenge.”
While she had many lightbulb moments throughout her time at AUT, one particular lecturer made an especially strong impression on her.
“The biggest motivation for me was one particular lecturer who was not just inspiring but always willing to help students, encouraging us to strive and do better but most importantly willing to give his time to listen. I felt that by doing this he lived up to AUT’s mission of creating great graduates, with each member of its staff contributing to this.”
A rewarding engineering career
Since finishing her studies, Tania has now returned to the Cook Islands where she works as a lead systems engineer for Avaroa Cable Limited, the newest wholesale telecommunications provider for the Cook Islands in the South Pacific.
“Avaroa Cable Limited provides international and domestic inter-island connectivity in the Cook Islands via the Manatua Cable, a new Fibre Optic Submarine cable which connects Apia in Samoa, Niue, Rarotonga and Aitutaki in the Cook Islands, and Bora Bora and Tahiti in French Polynesia.
“I’m part of the network engineering team that procured, installed and now operates the Manatua Cable on behalf of the Cook Islands. I have counterpart engineers in Samoa, Niue, French Polynesia and beyond. My role enables me to build on the skills I gained from AUT while applying them in a field that is constantly evolving, and in addition I also get to work with a range of people and am fortunate to be in an environment where furthering my capabilities is encouraged.”
She frequently draws on the skills she developed throughout her engineering degree.
“Having a background in electronics and an understanding of how electronic things work has shown me how much technology has evolved. In my current role, it has helped me understand how our systems operate and how devices are linked to each other. This has allowed me to confidently fault find and work on our systems.”
