STORY &
FEATURE
BY SUMMA MACDONALD
Peter Baker, highly valued
‘Gateway Liaison’ seen here
being hoist into the air by
appreciative ‘Gateway
Programme’ participants,
who have successfully entered
apprenticeships thanks to the
support and dedication of
Peter and those involved in the
Gateway programme
industries involving 50 local businesses,
which shows the volume of community
interest supporting the programme. 16 have
already left to begin their apprenticeships,
with more to start by the end of the year,
and another 10 will continue with tertiary
after collage. The rest will hopefully have
an apprenticeship or job offer once they
complete the year” says Pete proudly.
Pete gets inspiration from the programme
when he sees young men who started on
‘Gateway’ five or six years ago and are now
fully qualified in their chosen industry and
have remained working in Marlborough.
Leigh Jones, (pictured top right) owner of
Nazareth Joinery Ltd shares the same views
on the programme.
“From a business prospective, we get an
insight into the person prior to taking them
on” says Leigh, “this is extremely valuable
as we want new team members to fit in well
with our team environment”.
With four apprentices successfully
employed via the programme, Leigh has
been impressed with the calibre of the
young boys.
Gateway for the future
As a parent, we often imagine and sometimes worry what our children will do with their lives and what path their
journey will take them on. We watch from the sidelines hoping that they have taken on board the skills, lessons and
advice that we, their parents, their teachers, caregivers and roles models have given them to take on the world.
Is it me, or does the world in which the next
generation is embarking on seem to be very
different to the working world that many of
us entered into?
With a significant increase in competitive
career opportunities that are vastly changing
before we can blink, our youth now have
the added pressure of not only being skilled
in their chosen career but the need to
upskill and adapt to constantly evolving new
technologies and advancements. Life doesn’t
seem as simple as it used to be. With such a
range of opportunities and entrepreneurial
advantages, how do our young people start
to determine what it is that they want to do?
I had the pleasure of sitting down with
Gateway Liaison, Peter Baker from the
Marlborough College, who has been a
dedicated ambassador for the year 12
and 13 boys aspiring to get a start on the
career-ladder before they leave school.
The ‘Gateway Programme’ at the college
is part of a nationwide initiative to help
students make informed decisions on their
direction after leaving school. Purely having
this opportunity has guaranteed these boys
a head start and will potentially set them up
with a bright future. What is unique about
the Marlborough Boys College programme is
that it’s not just for a short period of a term,
these boys commit to one full day of work a
week for the entire year with a local business
in the trade or service they are interested
in. This allows them to fully experience what
commitment to a role involves and to gain as
much experience as they can. During school
holidays, they are also given the opportunity
to work full time for the holiday period,
allowing them the experience of what a full
weeks work feels like.
The programme is ideal for students who
have decided that tertiary education is not
the road they want to take and are keen
to enter the workforce. Some have found
that after completing the programme, they
have discovered their preferred industry will
involve some extra study time and university
or tertiary education is required to allow
them to be qualified for the role they want.
Young men on the Gateway programme
leave school with a minimum of a Restricted
Drivers Licence after completing driving
classes which the ‘Gateway’ programme puts
them through.
During class time, they have the opportunity
to complete papers on the industry they
are training in which also gives them credits
towards their NCEA. This year, the boys
averaged just over 30 NCEA credits per
student, to put that into perspective, Level 2
NCEA requires 60 credits for a pass, so these
students are well on their way to passing
the school year by just being part of this
programme.
Leigh explains that he left school when
he was 15 and went straight into an
apprenticeship, so he knows the value
in getting a head start in the trade
sector and is pleased he is able to give
the same advantage to young people
that he had himself.
“The advantage of being able to grow
personally and professionally within an
industry while you earn sets you up for
success” says Leigh.
Phil Yuen owner of Aotea Electrical Ltd
has had great success with taking on
apprentices through the ‘Gateway
programme’ and reiterates how important
it is for the industry.
“The programme helps find solid, reliable
apprentices which only benefits the future
of the trade” says Phil. “It also gives the
employer the chance to see if the person
really does want to commit to working and
allows the student the chance to find out if
that trade is actually what they really want
to do. They really get a realistic opportunity
to make a decision on their future”.
Leigh Jones with Luke Yarrall, who has accepted the latest apprenticeship offered via the Gate-way Programme.
Luke will proudly step into the workforce, well prepared and confident, ready to commence his employment with
Nazareth Joinery Ltd at the beginning of the next school term. - Congratulations to you Luke
Working alongside Pete is careers advisor
Gail Fletcher, who says the programme
ensures boys don’t slip through the cracks
and leave collage without a plan or goal in
mind. She says that the programme is a real
testament to Pete’s ability to support and
keep the boys on the right track. “They really
respect and trust him as he has a real knack
for ensuring the boys are in the right work
environments that will allow them to thrive.
The programme also boosts their confidence
and allows them to enjoy school which in
turn, encourages them to be there and
makes the transition between school and
work easier” says Gail
Pete put me in contact with Johnny
Andrews who is a real success story of the
‘Gateway Programme.’ From a young age,
Johnny made the decision to leave the
family home for a more stable environment
living with his grandparents, whose influence
pushed him to work hard towards his goals
and to create his own path. After discovering
a passion for flying when gifted a trial
flight for his birthday, Johnny decided his
dream was to become a pilot. While going
to college and working part time at New
World, employers Ashley and Melanie
Shore were so impressed with Johnny they
put him forward for a scholarship for flying
lessons to help him get closer to his goals.
His dedication and determination had not
gone unnoticed and he also received a
2nd scholarship thanks to Litchfield Trust
and Custom Copy.
Some students can be accepted on to
apprenticeships before they finish their
school year, meaning they can begin
upskilling earlier than most. This year, 10
boys have either entered the work force or
are preparing to.
“Local support of the programme over
the last few years has been excellent” says
Pete, “with a number of employers now
having had three to four students who
have either completed or are well into
their apprenticeships. The boys also benefit
from setting and maintaining work place
standards. They can build a good reputation
which goes an incredibly long way in
communities like Marlborough”.
After entering the ‘Gateway Programme’,
Johnny received a placement with Sounds
Air and did 2 years of training and completed
his first solo flight at the ripe age of only 16,
this allowed him to experience the industry
first hand and begin study in aviation to
ensure a head start into the industry he had
become so passionate about.
Johnny is now a commercial pilot for
Pelorus Air at the age of 22. With the
experience he gained by committing and
working hard and utilising the support of
the Gateway Programme, Johnny has
achieved his dream with a lifetime still
ahead of him.
“The programme allows students to build
the confidence they need in those last
years of school” says Johnny. “Not having
the strongest skills in numeracy or literature
can make a student feel incompetent,
but by discovering a skill set that gives
them the chance to learn and excel, in turn,
gives them the motivation to keep learning
and build on their new found confidence.
The opportunity to get a taste for the
workforce while at school is a great way
to have a realistic transition from school
into the workforce”
After ticking off a big life goal at such a
young age, Johnny can now refocus on
making new dreams come true which
includes heading off to Canada to fly float
planes in some of the most picturesque
waterways in the world.
I have been inspired by Pete’s humble
generosity of his time and willingness to
help our local youth and give them the
positive head start that every child could
benefit from. As a mother of two young
boys, I feel extremely lucky that they
have such a fantastic opportunity available
to them if they need it. With the selfless
and dedicated support of ‘cheerleaders’
like Pete and other members of guidance
teams, we can be confident that our
youth will choose the right path to follow
to be the future leaders we need them
to be.
If your son, daughter or a young person
you know would benefit greatly from this
experience, encourage them to talk to Pete
or their careers advisor at their college about
applying to the programme. This could be
the best start they could get!
“This year, we have had 51 students enter
the programme covering 25 different
Luke Yarrall, Nazareth Joinery Ltd
Johnny Andrews - Commercial Pilot, previous Gateway Student
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