Ivy Williams, Agriculture Apprentice

Ivy Williams, a student at Coleg Sir Gar, is one of the first students to be part of the Pathways to Apprenticeship programme (PTA) in Wales. The PTA programme is designed to prepare young people for a level 3 Apprenticeship.

Level 3 Apprenticeship

It is an intensive one year study, with a minimum of six weeks work experience. Ivy decided to do the BTEC Level 2 Diploma in Agriculture through the PTA programme because of the great opportunities on offer.

 

Because the PTA programme is so versatile, as it is based around a core level 2 qualification, together with a range of other options that are desirable for employers.  Ivy was able to complete additional qualifications alongside the main qualification such as Transporting Animals, Health and Safety at Work, Chainsaw Maintenance and Quad Bike Training. She hopes that by gaining these additional skills and qualifications, she will be better positioned when looking for employment.

As part of the Level 2 Diploma in Agriculture, Ivy spends four days a week in college doing both practical and theory lessons. Soon she will be going on a work placement for six weeks to a local farm, this will allow her to put the theory she‘s learnt into practice.

After successfully completing the PTA programme, Ivy is not planning on stopping her education.  She hopes to follow up this programme with additional Agriculture courses, which will take another two years to complete. This will further develop Ivy’s promising career.