Luke was awarded a 2024 MITO and Inspiring Futures Foundation Business Skills scholarship. "It was really awesome to win that. I was pretty humbled. I've always wanted to have my own business, and this seemed like a natural step forward."
Levi’s commitment to his career took a significant step forward when he was awarded a MITO and Inspiring Futures Foundation scholarship to complete MITO’s New Zealand Certificate in Electric Vehicle Automotive Engineering (Level 5). "I just want to keep learning and adapting to whatever comes next.”
Alex is keen on furthering his education, particularly in electric vehicle (EV) training. "I want to get fully qualified in the EV side of it. We are getting more and more EVs coming in, so having someone trained is essential to keep up with the industry."
With an impressive four programmes under his belt, Matt Brooker has carved a defined path as a highly skilled and versatile professional in the automotive industry.
For Ethan, completing StartUp® gave him the push he needed to decide to pursue a career in the automotive industry. Ethan made such a big impression that his Gateway teacher nominated him for the Prime Minister’s Vocational Excellence Award, which he was awarded in October 2023.
“Painting is very satisfying. With my youth group, I used to paint murals in Henderson. I love colour so it's really cool mixing the colour at work and seeing it all come together."
Apprentice mechanic Sophie is on a mission to encourage other young women to join the automotive industry. “I did the automotive course at school, and I was the only girl. I went the second year and was the only girl again!”
Krishneel (Kris) first started at Porter Mechanical in Canterbury as a car groomer. It wasn’t long before South Island Production Manager, Duane, observed Kris’s dedication to his work and thought he would be a great candidate for an apprenticeship.
For self-proclaimed people person Tylar, a job focused on customer service was the perfect fit. She’s been working as a Service Advisor at David Jones Motors in Whanganui for the past two years and wouldn’t have it any other way.
