Equestrian Life July 2016 Edition
The leading regional magazine for the East Midlands and Northern Counties. Aimed at the competition rider at both unaffiliated and affiliated level across a wide range of disciplines.
The leading regional magazine for the East Midlands and Northern Counties. Aimed at the competition rider at both unaffiliated and affiliated level across a wide range of disciplines.
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
How Apprenticeships can<br />
lead to Higher Education<br />
We know that equine<br />
Apprenticeships are an<br />
excellent way to get a leg-up<br />
in the equestrian world, but<br />
did you know that they can be<br />
a path to Higher Education?<br />
Harriet Lawson, 21, completed<br />
an Apprenticeship with East<br />
Midlands training provider<br />
Stubbing Court Training Ltd<br />
(SCT) and has now finished<br />
the first year of a degree in<br />
Equine Business Management<br />
at Bishop Burton College.<br />
Harriet, who is from Aberfeldy<br />
in Perthshire, explains: “I left<br />
school after doing my Highers<br />
and wanted to work in the<br />
horse world. But my mother<br />
was keen for me to carry on<br />
my education. I got a job with<br />
the event rider Jamie Atkinson<br />
at his yard in Durham, and<br />
he arranged for me to do an<br />
Apprenticeship with SCT<br />
at the same time.” Harriet<br />
started her Apprenticeship<br />
in September 2013. After<br />
learning a great deal on<br />
Jamie’s busy competition yard,<br />
she moved to Yorkshire to<br />
work for Vicky Clarke, working<br />
with eventers, hunters and<br />
ponies.<br />
“With Vicky, I was able to take<br />
on more responsibility and<br />
was responsible for making<br />
lots of decisions – both yards<br />
taught me so much,” she<br />
says. Harriet completed her<br />
Advanced Apprenticeship at<br />
Vicky Clarke’s yard.<br />
“The great thing about doing<br />
the SCT Apprenticeship was<br />
that it filled in the gaps in<br />
my knowledge and left me<br />
with a really broad, all-round<br />
understanding of horse<br />
care and management. I<br />
decided to do the Advanced<br />
Apprenticeship to gain a<br />
further qualification, and<br />
because I really enjoyed<br />
learning,” she says.<br />
“SCT gave me lots of support<br />
– I could ring Belinda Turner<br />
[SCT’s Chief Executive] at any<br />
time for help and advice. And<br />
online learning was great,<br />
because I could fit it in around<br />
the hours I was working. And<br />
the Masterclass Series SCT<br />
organises for its apprentices<br />
and employers is brilliant –<br />
you have the opportunity to<br />
learn from your heroes.”<br />
The fact that Apprentices<br />
are paid a wage enabled<br />
Harriet to compete her own<br />
horse, and the pair are now<br />
eventing at intermediate level<br />
successfully. In 2015, Harriet<br />
started her degree at Bishop<br />
Burton, and hopes to find a job<br />
in equestrian event organising<br />
when she graduates.<br />
“I really recommend<br />
Apprenticeships – they give<br />
you a taste of the ‘real world’<br />
and what the working world<br />
is like, but you still have a<br />
support system you can turn<br />
to.”<br />
For more information on SCT’s<br />
Apprenticeships, visit www.<br />
stubbingcourttraining.com.<br />
www.equestrianlifemagazine.co.uk 7
Change language