Doing the Gateway Programme has given me the opportunity to find out about different careers and to see what it would be like to be a building apprentice.

Before I started Gateway this year I knew I wanted to do a trade, I looked into a few career options and tried some work experience in Year 12 to help me decide what I wanted to do when I leave school. I chose the building industry and signed on with Henderson Building for my Gateway placement in Term 1. Henderson Building do a variety of different construction projects eg new homes, renovations, extensions and commercial buildings. Most of the time I have been helping with building the new building at Timaru Hospital. Some of the things I do include helping around the job site by handing the workers things they need, helping lift heavy objects like large frames, cutting and nailing in dwangs and nailing and drilling in fixings around the site. Anything that they need me to do I get done to the best of my ability every time

My plans for this year are to achieve Level 3 NCEA and to find an apprenticeship. I have achieved both and am very pleased to be starting full time work with Henderson Building at the start of Term 2. I will be doing a 3 month trial period and all going well will sign up for an apprenticeship after that.

 I have enjoyed Gateway work experience and really appreciate the help I have received from school and from the crew at Henderson Building. The classroom work has all been about preparing for work, doing things like making a CV, hearing from employers about job interviews, doing a workplace safety course and researching different careers. Employers contact the school when they are looking for apprentices, Gateway is a great way to try out a job and for employers to see if students are suitable for their workplace. I recommend Gateway for future students to help with career decisions before they leave school.