For Caleb, the decision to join a trade came early. He wanted a career that would get him out from behind a desk and into hands-on work. When he discovered the Schools Gateway Programme, he saw a chance to try something new and landed a placement with a plumbing company. That first taste of the trade turned into a passion, and four years later, he’s thriving in an apprenticeship he loves.

Caleb now works for Harbour City Plumbing, building his skills across plumbing, gasfitting, and drainlaying. With his qualification nearly complete, he’s looking forward to joining the ranks of fully qualified tradespeople later this year. “One of the pros of the apprenticeship is that when I’m qualified, I’ll have the freedom of the money I’ve earned, and I won’t have a giant student loan like I would if I’d gone to uni and I’ll have job stability.”