Matilda turned her love of horses into an apprenticeship opportunity.
Matilda lives in Haverfordwest and recently completed her GCSEs. She felt unsure about her future plans.
She said, “I just felt like I didn't really know what I was going to do. I had a few options in my head, but I didn't know which one I wanted to actually do.”
Choosing between two passions
Matilda met with Careers Wales adviser TJ at her school to discuss her options. At the time, Matilda was considering two different career paths.
She said, “My initial interests were kind of between horses and then beauty. “TJ helped me find out where I actually wanted to go and what to do.”
With support from TJ, she researched courses, apprenticeships and training opportunities.
Discovering the right fit
As she explored her options, Matilda realised that working with horses was the direction she wanted to take.
One of the things that appealed most to her was the opportunity to gain practical experience while continuing to learn.
She said, “I decided to follow the horse route after TJ helped me find out that I could do a college apprenticeship in horse care. Beauty felt more like a hobby to me, rather than something I wanted to do as a job.”
“I just wanted to come out of school and go and do something that I enjoyed, but still get a qualification and still be learning.”
Securing her apprenticeship
Matilda has since secured a Level 2 apprenticeship in Horse Care Management.
She said: “I'm going to do an apprenticeship with the same place I'm working with now. My own horse is up there and I know them quite well. It's a nice place to be because it's a family business.”
Matilda now feels much more confident about her next steps. She said: “I feel like I know what I'm doing now and I've got a clear path. I'm not worrying about what I'm going to do.”
Looking ahead, she hopes to continue building her qualifications and experience in the equine industry.
Matilda's advice
Matilda encourages other young people to keep an open mind when thinking about their future.
She said, “Definitely explore different things that you may be interested in. It's worth looking at lots of options and doing research to find out what really suits you.”
She added, “I would definitely recommend to anyone not knowing what they're doing to go and talk to the careers adviser.”
If you would like to explore your interests and opportunities with a careers adviser, please contact us today.
An apprenticeship is a job where you gain recognised qualifications while you work. Find out about eligibility, wage, training information and the range of apprenticeships on offer.
Find out where to look for apprenticeship vacancies, and how to make your application the best it can be.
Explore our list of larger companies who offer apprenticeships in Wales. A wide range of apprenticeship vacancies are advertised at different times of the year.