Allan completed his secondary education at Southland Boys High School and worked at Geo Wilson & Sons Ltd before, in early 2008, being promoted into an apprenticeship with Southern Group Training on secondment with Geo Wilson & Sons Ltd.

An apprenticeship offers Allan the opportunity to gain a tertiary qualification at Level 4 without needing to take on a student debt. Apprentices are paid as they learn. Southern Group Training, as employer, pays for all Allan’s training fees.

Southern Group Training also provides apprentices with an interest free tool loan to enable them to have a basic toolkit of their own from the beginning of their apprenticeship.

This means that the apprentice does not have to save up for each tool but has the basics of the required tool kit on hand. This also means that the apprentice does not need to borrow other trades people’s tools to complete the tasks at hand.

Apprentices are provided with their own personal protective equipment which is replaced on a regular basis.