No need to leave home town to find a job

Using Gateway to get out into the workforce

Eighteen year old Hayden Baird gets a hard time by his boss at Brent’s Electrical in Kaitaia—but it’s good-natured.

He’s the apprentice—and a friendly ribbing every now and then comes with the territory. But Hayden wouldn’t have it any other way.

He loves his electrician’s Modern Apprenticeship.

Hayden lives in a small rural town about half-an-hour north of Kaitaia. Leaving home and Kaitaia to find a job or study somewhere else in New Zealand wasn’t an option when Hayden left school last year. So he had to look closer to home when working out what to do when he left school.

“When I was in the seventh form I really wanted to get out into the workforce. Gateway let me,” says Hayden.

“I learnt heaps”

He spent one day a week at Kaitaia Tractors finding out what it would be like to be a Diesel Engineer—like his dad.

“It was great. I really enjoyed it and I learnt heaps.

“It showed me what it was like in the workforce. It was great to be working with the other guys, and learning from them.

“I matured heaps while I was there.”

Hayden even got a holiday job out of it as well.

Gateway helped with Modern Apprenticeship

His Gateway placement helped him into the Modern Apprenticeship at Brent’s Electrical.

“I knew what it was like in the workplace, and I felt really positive about doing an apprenticeship.

“It’s better than I ever thought.”

Hayden enjoys using his brain and is confident about the career prospects.

“There’ll always be electricity,” he jokes.

“And my parents are rapt. It’s not a bum-around job!”