Gateway Students Profiles

Profile: Gateway Student: Joshua Sellwood, Lower Hutt

Photo: Joshua Sellwood at Ferndale Furniture 

 
Joshua Sellwood is a shining example of the success of the Gateway programme – in just over a year he’s gone from Hutt Valley High School student to furniture making trainee. 

In 2007, Joshua’s interest in making furniture led to one-day-a-week of work experience at Cudby and Meade Furniture, via the Gateway programme. 

It turned out that Joshua really liked making furniture and not only gained 12 credits towards his national certificate, but also completed his first commercial piece – a coffee table.

Local FITEC assessor (and owner of Cudby and Meade), Mike Cudby, says, “Joshua is a boy wanting to go places and we could see while he was with us that he showed great promise.

“After the placement came to an end, Cudby and Meade Furniture changed hands and the new owner was unable to take Joshua on permanently, so I helped him find a job with Ferndale Furniture – a really go ahead company in the Wellington area.”

Joshua started in January 2008 and is progressing well. He’s already completed his level 2 certificate in Furniture Making.

“Joshua takes his career choice seriously and because of that we’ve encouraged him to take on particular responsibilities at an early age,” says Grant McDonald, Managing Director, Ferndale Furniture.

“As Joshua's knowledge and experience increases so does the opportunity for him to take on even more challenging work.”

Joshua says he enjoys all aspects of learning the trade from how to make cutting lists and use the machinery, through to knocking up units and getting on with his training.

Grant says Ferndale has participated in the Gateway programme for a few years now and some of their best junior staff have come through the programme, “We have employed almost all of the Gateway candidates we’ve had placed with us.”

He believes the Gateway programme is a fantastic opportunity for employers to see how students perform over an extended period: their strengths, weaknesses and general attitude. “It’s a great way to select the best new staff entering the industry,” Grant says.

As for Joshua, at the moment he is firmly focussed on finishing his apprenticeship, and open to “seeing what opportunities may arise in the future”.

Photo: James Davis working for Molloy Furniture

Being headhunted at 17 to join the furniture industry is not an experience that all high-school students have – but that is just what happened to James Davis from Glen Eden last year.

James had been giving a speech at a Gateway Programme function, when David Trought, National Careers Manager at FITEC spotted his potential.

“James really stood out as someone who was confident and determined,” says David, “And, although his Gateway placement had been within the building industry, James used his moment in the spotlight to let people know he was interested in working with furniture.” 

 David thought any employer would be lucky to have James, and said he would check vacancies with some local contacts.

James’ interest in working with wood started in his woodwork classes at intermediate. When he was offered an opportunity with the Gateway Programme in Year 12, he discovered there were no placements in the furniture industry, so he opted for building instead.

“The experience was valuable, but I was interested really in furniture making, so I thought it wouldn’t do any harm to say so at the Gateways function.”

Through David’s contacts James met West Auckland based furniture makers, Molloy Furniture.

Owner and manager, Vince Molloy, said he was impressed with James enthusiasm for his career choice and how keen he was to get a job.

“We interviewed him twice and he kept calling us to find out whether or not we would be taking him on. Once we’d said yes, he was thrilled.”

James started with Molloys in mid-January 2009 and enjoyed it from day one. “I get a real sense of satisfaction from seeing items that I’ve helped make being used in people’s homes,” he says.

While Molloy Furniture often take on local school students for paid work experience, they had no junior employees through Gateway before, but Vince says he can see the advantages.

“With James we got someone who already had some work experience and a feel for the general rules of a workplace. We knew he would not need hand holding and could just get him started straight away.

“I think Gateway is a great opportunity for young people to feel their way into an organisation before they commit to anything – and it’s good for employers to see them in action.”

Now two months into his career, James has started his furniture making apprenticeship and says his future plans include getting fully qualified and eventually setting up his own furniture making business.