Daniel’s story

With tailored careers guidance, Daniel explored his options, built his confidence, and secured the hands on apprenticeship he’d been aiming for.

First conversations

Daniel first came across Careers Wales in Year 9. “I wasn't quite sure what to do, as there were multiple options where I wanted to go,” he explained.

Daniel had subject choices to make, and so he attended one of the careers events at school. It was here that he first spoke to a careers adviser.

“It was just a nice chat about where I wanted to go and nothing was pushed. They helped me realise I had more options.” he said.

Building confidence

As Daniel moved into his GCSE years, he started to meet regularly with Rhys Roberts, the new careers adviser based at his school. Their sessions focused on early career ideas.

“We would mainly chat about the importance of revision and look at possible careers out there. We talked about falling on a backup plan when needed.

“It made my confidence a lot better because I knew there were different careers out there and different ways of going about things.”

Daniel already had a rough plan in mind to do something in Information and Technology (IT). But the guidance he received helped him think more realistically about his next steps.

Rethinking the future

By the time he was studying for his A levels, Daniel began to reconsider his original plan of going to university. Through more conversations with Rhys, he explored whether university, an apprenticeship, or college would suit him best.

“Originally I thought I was going to go to university, but I realised that probably wasn’t in my best interest,” he said. “I prefer the more hands on sort of feel of work. I'd rather just get in there and do it.”

Together, they looked at a range of apprenticeships, discussing the pros and cons of each one.

During Year 12, Daniel also arranged his own work experience with the council’s IT department. This gave him a real insight into the workplace.

An opportunity then came up with Carmarthenshire County Council for an apprenticeship in IT. Knowing that Daniel had enjoyed his work experience there, Rhys forwarded an email about the opportunity straight to him. He also supported him through the application process.

Achieving his goal

When Daniel was offered the apprenticeship, he said it felt like everything had come together. “It felt amazing. It felt like the hard work had paid off.”

He is now completing an IT apprenticeship with Carmarthenshire County Council where he can earn while he learns and is enjoying every moment. “I find it really good and it's a nice environment,” he shared.

Looking back, Daniel says the support he received made a huge difference to his confidence and communication skills. It also encouraged him to keep going, even when things felt uncertain.

His advice to other young people thinking about speaking to a careers adviser is simple:

“I’d tell them to go and to never give up.”

If you would like to explore your interests and opportunities with a careers adviser, please contact us today.

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