Building Skills for the Future

By Izaah Iosefo | Posted: Thursday November 13, 2025

Year 12 student Izaah Iosefo has made the most of his Gateway placement at Steve Mowat Building & Construction, gaining valuable hands-on experience in the trades.

I have really enjoyed my time working at Steve Mowat Building & Construction and have learned a wide range of new skills — like how to use a skill saw, build boxing efficiently, operate a concrete chipper, and even drive a manual truck. Throughout this experience, I’ve used all sorts of tools, including a skill saw, nail gun, screwdriver, chisel, hammer, concrete chipper, and many more.

I’ve worked on three different worksites so far, which have included building the new Chester Plumbing and Bathroom Centre, a house in Port Chalmers, and work inside First Church. Working at different sites has given me the privilege of meeting new people and learning new skills from each one, which has been awesome.

At this company, we start early — 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. — with two half-hour breaks during the day. I don’t mind the early starts, and overall, I think this has been a great experience and opportunity. I just want to thank Steve Mowat for giving me the chance to work and learn at his company.