New sports turf apprentice Shamus McCullough had one critical factor in his favour when he applied for a role at New Zealand’s biggest sports stadium Eden Park – the experience he’d gained as a Gateway learner while still at school.

Now a few months into his apprenticeship, Shamus took part in Primary ITO’s Gateway Programme during his final year at Christchurch Boys’ High School in 2023, spending a day each week out at Waitikiri Golf Club.

Eden Park’s turf manager, Blair Christiansen, says that experience was a key part of Shamus getting the role.

“Shamus was one of the few people, even though he was a school leaver, who had any experience in the sports turf industry. He’d already shortlisted that as something he might be interested in and participated in the Gateway Programme from Christchurch Boys’ High School with one of the local golf courses.

“He understood the language and turf really does have its own particular language.”

The role had come up when one of Blair’s previous apprentices finished his training and got a job at University Oval in Dunedin – another test cricket venue.

Blair’s proud to see apprentices graduating and, if they choose to, moving on to new roles. He says even when people finish their training, there’s always something new to learn.

With Shamus moving up from Christchurch, Blair says Eden Park helped set him up living with one of the other apprentices, right next door to the stadium. “There’s multiple layers to how we try and make things successful for people. It’s a good learning environment with people like me who’ve been in the industry since the early 1990s, through to more recent trainees who are familiar with the new training.”

Shamus acknowledges that moving to a new city has had its challenges, and he’s grateful for the support from the Eden Park team, as well as a sister and uncle in Auckland.

Primary ITO training adviser Robert Maxwell supports Eden Park’s learners, while Blair is a registered assessor.

“Robert’s a great fit,” says Blair. “He tells people to crack on when they need to keep up. Having digitally delivered assessments means it’s clear when people need to do more. For Shamus, it’s so streamlined now. If it’s a wet day at work, all they need is a laptop to learn.”

Blair’s own son Ben also did a Gateway Programme from Westlake Boys' at Windross Farm Golf Club. “He will be headed to Te Ara up north in the same process that Shamus has followed. It’s a good system. The Gateway Programme doesn’t guarantee that you’ll get a job but it can give you an insight into whether it’s something you want to pursue, and both Ben and Shamus have done just that.”

Suzanne Carruth is Primary ITO’s Gateway co-ordinator and is responsible for supporting Shamus’s school with Gateway. She says the programme can be a stepping stone to a career.

“We find young people coming towards the end of their time at school really value the chance to try out an industry and also keep earning sector specific credits towards their school qualifications.

“Shamus is a really good example. Gateway and the Waitikiri Golf Club provided the opportunity for him to see that turf management was a career pathway for him, and he’s definitely made the most of that opportunity.

“There are lots of great options in Gateway, encompassing farming, horticulture, landscaping, seafood, arboriculture, rural servicing, sports turf and even pest control. Students can talk to their school’s career advisors about these options to get some real-world experience in an industry that appeals to them.”