After completing his secondary schooling at Southland Boys High School, Corey successfully applied to undertake the carpentry pre apprenticeship programme at the Southern Institute of Technology. In early 2008, at the completion of the course, Corey was offered an apprenticeship with Southern Group Training and has been placed on secondment with Bluff Timber & Building Supplies.

During the pre apprenticeship course students cover various health and safety requirements including first aid, safe use of hand tools and safe use of power tools all of which enables them to be safer in the workplace. This also enables the student to be more useful in the workplace from the very beginning of their apprenticeship.

Employers prefer to employ people with a good understanding of the health and safety issues in the workplace and who are able to be useful from day one. The pre apprenticeship programme also allows the student to demonstrate a good work ethic and an understanding of the need to be able to develop and maintain good timekeeping skills.