"We had 45 students do Gateway this year. It really is quite rare for students to go straight from Gateway into apprenticeships - sometimes we will have one or two, but most places want you to go to EIT or somewhere else to get your pre-trade."
"We want to stress that these students have worked really hard to gain their new positions. We want employers to start looking at us for candidates and we want to convince them that school-leavers are possible apprentices."
She said it was beneficial for companies to take apprentices on straight from school, so as not to lose students to elsewhere around the country.
Throughout the year, students spend a "full industry" day a week at their chosen job.
In the programme, not only did they work once a week, but they also completed industry related unit standards.
Director of Peak Plumbing & Gas Ltd, Grayson Allen said if the right candidate was put in front of them, they would absolutely take them on.
"It is a substantial commitment and until they're in it, they don't realise how hard it is. Doing big hours and studying afterwards is tough."
"Generally we take on adult apprentices, so Hamish wil be our first school-leaver. For us it is a big commitment. We had a good look at him through the Gateway programme and he's doing a probation period next year after Christmas for 90 days."
Mr Allen said it was vital to train apprentices to "invest not only in the future your business but also the future trade."
The trade industry is currently facing a "severe shortage".
"This reflects the situation in New Zealand with the growing need for people in the trade. From our perspective, I'm delighted these kids are actually going to stay in Hawke's Bay, rather than head off to Auckland or Wellington or Christchurch."
