17 December 2020
Features Image – Joshua Zufferey (left) and Jaidyn Newell (right) were two of our 78 apprentices/trainees who completed their qualifications in 2020! Photos: My Gateway.
It has been an incredibly challenging year for everyone, which makes the 2020 efforts of all those we work with, very impressive. Before we look back at the year that was, the team at My Gateway would like to say a huge thank you to our apprentices, trainees and host businesses, as well as the school communities we collaborate with. We look forward to working again with many of you in 2021 and continuing to support young people in apprenticeships and traineeships.
A different way of working
There were many changes to workplaces across the country when COVID-19 restrictions began to have impact in early 2020. Many of our trainees began working from home, an experience these young employees were not familiar with. Several of these trainees shared their experiences with us including Ariana Marcelino, who was only days into her new traineeship when she had to make the transition to working from home.
Apprentices also had to adapt to a new way of working regarding TAFE, with face-to-face learning temporarily put on hold. Well done to each apprentice for taking on this unprecedented challenge.
Achievements of apprentices and trainees
In spite of all the challenges 2020 threw at our apprentices and trainees, 78 completed their qualifications this year. A further 134 apprentices and trainees commenced their placements in 2020.
We have been lucky to hear from many apprentices in 2020 who were either at the beginning of their careers or completing their qualifications. From Shania Leach’s childhood hobby that is now a career, to Dean Micallef’s pride in becoming a fully-fledged heavy vehicle mechanic. Thank you all for sharing your stories!
Camden Council trainee, Mikayla Gauci, was a finalist for Trainee of the Year at the 2020 NSW & ACT Group Training Awards. Photo: Camden Council.
Commitment and support from host businesses
The success of our apprentices and trainees would not be what it is without the support of our host businesses. Thank you to each host for your continued commitment to the employment of young people in the community!
A big thank you to these hosts who clocked up milestone partnerships with us in 2020:
School to Work program
It was also a challenging year for schools and we would like to thank those we work with for their support.
Over 100 presentations, talks and workshops were delivered to schools in 2020, including this Careers Day workshop with students from Chifley College Bidwill Campus. Photo: Inspiring the Futures.
Our School to Work (STW) program looked quite different for a large portion of the year. Virtual presentations and talks became the norm for our collaborative schools across Sydney. Despite the challenges of 2020, our STW team were able to deliver over 100 presentations, talks and workshops. These included both virtual and face-to-face.
We also saw our first school based graduation since our program commenced in early 2019. Well done to Chloe Vanderstraaten on completing her Certificate III in Business Administration. A school based civil construction course was also held in Term 4 for Year 10 students eager to begin their careers in the building industry.
