Apprenticeships: Gwynfor’s story

Gwynfor Jones, 18, from Treherbert says he didn’t mean to be a difficult pupil, but from an early age he wouldn’t listen to his teachers, couldn’t focus, and constantly fidgeted in class. 

Things changed for Gwynfor when he saw a poster about an open day for Welcome To Our Woods (WTOW), a community partnership in the Upper Rhondda Fawr connecting residents with nature, and decided to take a look.

He said: 

“I was only 10, but even at that age something just clicked. Something felt right about being outside and using my hands to do practical tasks. I found out I would be allowed to join in their activities when I turned 13. As soon as I was able, I went to one of their camps in the wood. Within a few months, I was volunteering at the camps, teaching other kids basic survival skills, collecting the right materials to make a proper campfire, that kind of thing.”

His volunteering work helped Gwynfor cope with the pressures of school: “I wasn’t deliberately setting out to be a nuisance and I think my teachers knew that I was basically a nice lad. Nevertheless, I was not well-behaved. I messed around and it inevitably landed me in trouble.

“I found it hard to engage with purely academic work. Exams were a nightmare for me. I would spend two hours thinking about a question and run out of time to put any answers down on paper.

“When the pandemic forced us all to stay at home, I feared the worse for my development. Taking me out of a classroom was even more of a disaster for my concentration, and being naturally shy, I was concerned I was going to lose the ability to integrate socially. I was worried for my future.”

Gwynfor knew that class-based learning wasn’t going to help him progress, but he had a plan. He searched local colleges for courses that combined a qualification with a heavily practical element. His time with WTOW had given him an insight into the area he wanted to get into. He found what he was looking for in a Foundation Apprenticeship in Environmental Conservation through Bridgend College, and he would still have support from WTOW.

Now he credits this work-based learning approach for helping him focus his attention – to the point he has been recognised with a national apprenticeship award when he was named Foundation Apprentice of the Year at the Apprenticeship Awards Cymru 2024. 

Gwynfor added: 

“I was low on confidence at school. I didn’t see myself as a smart kid. But my apprenticeship has seen me achieve what I thought impossible. My self-esteem and confidence have developed beyond that which I could have imagined. Now I deliver presentations to children in schools, the public and community events at my workplace. I would never have been able to do that before.”

As a bilingual employee, he supports woodland therapy sessions, working one to one with participants, volunteers two evenings a week with Valleys Kids and is an outdoor first aider and mountain bike leader. 

And he’s not finished yet. He wants to go on learning, to continuously develop his skills and expertise. He has ambitions to travel the world, sharing his knowledge on conservationism while learning from other experts in the field to work towards protecting the environment.

He added: 

“My mother, Rhian, was very pragmatic about my school experience. She always used to say to me ‘You’ll find your own level’. My older brother, Padraig always had focus. He could knuckle down and concentrate, and now he’s a carer for the elderly. She didn’t have to fret about him, but I’m sure I was a worry for her, despite her calm advice. Now I know she’s relieved and more importantly, she’s very proud of me.

“If I had one piece of advice for that fidgety 10 year old me struggling to ‘find his level’ in a classroom full of distractions, I would tell him to be patient…you will find your way.”