Insights
Staff Spotlight: From Apprentice to Technician with Matt
19 October 2026Meet Matt, a former Radio Communications Apprentice who is now transitioning into a Technician role at CSE Crosscom.
After relocating from New Zealand and looking for a technical career with plenty of variety, Matt found exactly that in the communications industry. Since joining the team, he’s completed his studies, gained experience across installations, programming and field work, and recently earned recognition as a finalist for Outstanding 3rd Year Electrical Apprentice at the 2026 SuniTAFE Trades Night.
We sat down with Matt to discuss his career so far, what he’s learned during his apprenticeship and the projects that have helped shape his experience at CSE Crosscom.
Tell us a bit about your background and how you came to join CSE?
I moved over from New Zealand with my partner about three years ago now. Back in New Zealand, I was most recently working at BQT Solutions, building electromechanical locks. I’ve also previously worked as a baker and had a couple of retail jobs. Alongside this, I completed a BA in Philosophy and Psychology.
I had no job lined up when I initially moved over, but knew I wanted something technical where I would be consistently learning and developing new skills, so an apprenticeship seemed like a good fit.
I was mainly looking at engineering apprenticeships at first, but the radio apprenticeship at CSE caught my eye as an interesting, technical and somewhat niche option. The mix of technical work and field work was particularly appealing to me, and the prospect of things like tower climbing seemed like they would keep the work week pretty interesting. I applied, went for my interview and got the role.
What’s your current role here, and what might a typical day look like for you?
I have just completed my studies at TAFE, so I am currently in the process of transitioning from Apprentice Technician to Technician.
Starting out, I’ve been primarily office-based, focusing largely on programming radios and body-worn cameras for our retail customers. Alongside this, I’ve also worked on various automations, procedures and process improvements.
Recently, there hasn’t really been a typical day as such. I’ve been spending most of my time out in the field, working on installations, programming and testing at different sites. This has given me plenty of opportunities to try new things and build some good experience recently.
What do you enjoy most about working at CSE?
I think the variety of work really stops things getting repetitive or boring. I might be doing something more technical or precise one day, getting outdoors for coverage testing the next, then spending some time on something more administrative, like working on a spreadsheet.
Each one appeals to me in a different way, so it’s a good mix that keeps things interesting.
What are you currently working on, and what excites you about it?
Recently, I’ve been doing a few jobs for shopping centres. This involves system upgrades, radio reprogramming, PMI (Preventative Maintenance Inspection) on their equipment and radios, and coverage testing of signal strength on site.
This has been a great way to get familiar with a bunch of different radio models, how to test them and how to set up their configurations. I’ve also been getting more experience using our various test equipment.
What’s one thing people might not know about your role or area of expertise?
Probably just how many options there are when it comes to configuring radios. Before getting into the industry, I would have assumed radios were fairly straightforward, with just a few settings you could change.
In reality, there are many different options when setting up a radio system: simplex, duplex, conventional, Cap Plus, Cap Max, digital, analogue, WAVE, hundreds of configurable settings, monitoring software like TRBOnet, different ways of linking sites like fibre, microwave or Ethernet, and multiple different programming software packages to get familiar with.
And that is really just scratching the surface. There’s a lot to learn, and a lot more going on behind the scenes than I would have expected.
Since joining CSE, what achievement or milestone are you most proud of?
Probably an automation to mass update the “allowed sites” setting on Motorola’s Radio Management software, which is a capability that is not natively available.
This allowed us to restrict access to a particular customer’s site from all other radios on the Orion Network, without having to go through them manually one by one, avoiding a significant amount of tedious work.
Outside of work, what are you passionate about or enjoy doing in your spare time?
Music. Going to a live gig is pretty hard to beat. I also enjoy playing guitar and having a go at making a bit of music myself. I always enjoy a walk in nature, particularly up a mountain, and I’m pretty decent at Rocket League.
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
All Froot Loops are actually the same flavour, only the colour is different.
Matt’s progression from apprentice to technician reflects the value of curiosity, continuous learning and embracing new opportunities. Throughout his apprenticeship, he has developed valuable technical skills, gained hands-on field experience and contributed to a range of projects across the business.
We’re proud to see Matt’s hard work recognised through his finalist nomination for Outstanding 3rd Year Electrical Apprentice at the 2026 SuniTAFE Trades Night and look forward to supporting the next stage of his career at CSE Crosscom. If you’re interested in an apprenticeship with CSE Crosscom, read the full program details or contact us about an opportunity.
