Crown Foods Apprentices at Aberdovey
The dust has now settled on Crown Food UK’s apprentice development course here in Aberdovey. The twelve apprentices from Neath, South Wales, arrived to find a programme that was nothing like any course we have run before. Following the traditional action-packed introduction and jog and dip, the apprentices were straight into a crucial Gap-Analysis session. They analysed their current situation and set stringent SMART targets for themselves. Following this each apprentice then details their action points into an accurate plan of how to close their ‘gap’. In doing so, the apprentices developed their own course learning outcomes. The key to the success of this process was in the motivation levels of the apprentices, which was through the roof!
The next two days were spent completing two adventurous days of rock climbing and paddling on the estuary, designed to allow the apprentices to explore different ways of leading and coaching. Particular attention was paid to their goal setting, and their initial goals that were fairly comfortable and straight-forward, soon tested their organisation and time management. But crucially, the tasks highlighted who was accountable when a team under-performs. The pride the apprentices developed in setting high standards for themselves, and working hard to accomplish them was more and more evident as the course progressed.
A secondary focus of the programme was to prepare the apprentices for a challenging upcoming, in which their sea kayak journey not only included a super-organised ferry across one of the biggest tides so far this year, but the apprentices also received training in water safety and x-rescuing double sea kayaks. Organised, dedicated and professional summed up their performance to this point....so far they were cruising.
The course had been building so far to this point, and their evening on the third night was spent planning their own expedition, including choosing a route, camp sites, booking transport, ordering rations, pack and prep, etc. Here they set their hardest target yet, and chose an expedition that would take in all the highest peaks and would get them back to the centre with no outside help, other than the sea kayaks, which we used on the third and final day to journey down the Dovey estuary. The apprentices set themselves rigorous targets including how quickly and efficiently they could de-camp, when they would arrive at the next camp site, how far apart team members could be from each other and how often they would switch leaders, to name but a few.
It was during this exped that they began working really hard, achieving all their aims, through sheer determination, hard work and keeping their standards high. Pride in a job well done was the key – why settle for merely very good, when outstanding is possible? The apprentices truly shifted into top gear, and set a standard for me to judge future apprentices by! Truly one of the most rewarding and astounding apprentice development courses I have delivered!
