SPONSORED CONTENT: It’s been some journey for Sama Sooialo.
She started working for Ashburton Contracting Limited (ACL) as a stop-go operator, but now, less than a year later, she’s steering her career towards traffic management leadership.
It all began when Sama first spotted an opportunity on Facebook and decided to apply, initially viewing the role as a temporary option.
“I started with stop-go work during sealing season until around January or March,” she said.
“Then I began working with Pete, another site traffic management supervisor (STMS). That’s when they encouraged me to get more qualifications to expand my skills.”
The progression wasn’t automatic, with Sama dedicating herself to rigorous training and assessments. On-the-job mentor Pete played a crucial role in her development.
“You go through a lot of courses, both in the classroom and hands-on assessments like setting up a makeshift site. If you get everything right, you pass,” she said.
That dedication paid off, with Sama now holding a fulltime STMS role with ACL, a company that’s been serving the Ashburton community since 1995.
And it’s a job that offers daily challenges, which she enjoys.
“The great thing about traffic management is that each site is different,” she said.
“You’re never in the same place or doing the same thing every day.”
And Sama fully understands why traffic management is so important for everyone.
“Well, traffic management isn’t only to just keep us (ACL workers) safe. It’s to keep the public safe,” she said.
“I get lots of people who say they don’t understand why we have so many signs and so many cones. But we have a legal document that tells us that doing what we are doing – and putting up a certain amount of signs or cones – is the safest way to have a site set up.”
Apart from that safety focus, which is hugely motivating for Sama and her team, she also loves the camaraderie, especially with truck drivers who return her friendly waves on the job.
“Sometimes, it’s just nice to have that little interaction,” she said with a smile.
