Chris was raised in Cardiff and he attended Greenhill school where he is now completing an Activity Leadership apprenticeship. Greenhill is an unique school, in that pupils who attend the school will have experienced considerable difficulties with their behaviour in a mainstream school and many will have struggled within those settings being unable to access the curriculum, pupils are referred by the LocalAuthority. Chris was nominated for presenting work of a very high standard, great research and for-clearly enjoying his work – he’s a great example to other apprentices.
Why did you decide to pursue an apprenticeship with the Urdd?
I wanted to do the Activity Leadership Level 2 course purely to understand how to cater for various learners and to get a good understanding of how to show progression for parents to see on paper.
What do you enjoy most about your job and how does the apprenticeship effect your job?
I love being able to provide a different path for learners to go down to show them they can make life what they want it to be instead of what they have been told it is.
Without the various activitiesthe school provides what we do would not work. Thanks to the course I am able to put on paper and prove what we do works when we need too.
What does taking on a bilingual apprenticeship mean to you?
It means I can get involved with the work and understand it.
How has doing the apprenticeship developed your Welsh skills?
I am able to understand bits of Welsh since doing the course. But I have yet to have the confidence to speak it regularly.
What are your interests outside the workplace?
I’m anInternational White WaterRaftGuideandSUP Instructor.I do gamequite alotinmysparetime.
In which way does completing an apprenticeship effect your personal development?
It helps me prove on paper that what we do as a school,works really well, and I feel since doing the course it has been able to show me different ways to run activities.
What do you hope to do after completing your apprenticeship?
I hope to continue my job as a Teacher Assistant in Greenhill School and also continue to work on my goal of being a Higher Level Teaching Assistant in the school.
Describe your experience of completing the apprenticeship with the Urdd in 3 words!
Passion! Determination! Progress!