When Kayleb Hancock was considering his career options he turned to the Connexis Gateway programme to learn more about what a job in the energy sector might be like, before leaving school.
Then a student at Cromwell College, Kayleb participated in the Gateway Programme with NES Central, a local electrical services company, where he now works full-time as an apprentice line mechanic.
“Making the decision to leave school and all my friends was a challenge. Gateway gave me the chance to get out and see what the job is all about before committing to something long-term,” he says.
Attending NES Central several times a week with Gateway, Kayleb was able to observe and help on various jobs to gain an understanding of what being a line mechanic involved.
“You can’t do everything, because of health and safety, but you do learn a lot by observing and doing tasks that are at your skill level.
“I was really interested in the hiabs and I like working at heights, and that made me start to think this was a job I could really enjoy and see a future for myself in,” Kayleb says, adding he would recommend Gateway to others still at school but thinking about the career options.
“Gateway helps students who do not perform well in the education system to get on the pathway for a job that is suited for them. You don’t leave school and then find you hate the job you’re in that’s not suited to you.”
