Haddon Training says "Well Done" to...........

Joe Curtis - A first for Haddon Training.

Haddon Training together with Sarah West from Southill Stables are so pleased to be able to announce that Joe Curtis is the first Haddon Training Learner to start and achieve his Level 1 NVQ, continue onto his Apprenticeship at Level 2 and finally successfully complete his Advanced Apprenticeship in Horse Care and Management.

No other Learner has successfully achieved this accolade. Many have started at Level 1 and managed to scrape through their Apprenticeship. Even more have started an Apprenticeship and then completed an Advanced Apprenticeship, but no one has successfully completed all three levels.

Haddon Training delivered the 14-16 Year Old Increased Flexibility Programme with the support of Swindon College. Joe joined the programme, encouraged by his school where he had experienced some difficulties: the programme enabled him to undertake training in an area he was passionate about and had an obvious aptitude for. This started him on the qualification ladder he never thought he could climb.

Joe comes from a non-horsey family and, in his own words "tolerated school and did not want to do any more exams". He was very excited about doing one day and week at Southill during term-time and being able to do his Level 1 NVQ.

Joe only started riding at the age of 14, six months before going to Southill Stables to start his Level 1. Despite his limited experience he flew through the qualification, completing in just seven months - setting the standard for the next two levels.

His Apprenticeship at Level 2 was equally successful. He worked remarkably hard with Schooling as his option, not only at the practical tasks but also at his portfolio. He took his Technical Certificate with the help of a reader and a writer and passed with a very credible 83%. He was surprised and pleased to find that in concentrating on a subject that he really enjoyed, he did not find revising difficult and did not mind doing the Key Skills because he was learning a lot of associated information.

Now having completed his Advanced Apprenticeship, Joe has the position of Yard Manager at Southill in his sites. He is so much more confident in his own ability, is knowledgeable, self assured, happy to answer questions (a big stumbling block when he first arrived at Southill) and forward thinking. He is important and valued. He appreciates how much he has learnt and achieved in the last three years and is not cocky, and also knows that he still has a lot more to learn.

The best thing about his training - "meeting everyone at Haddon and learning so much about so many different areas in horses".

The worst thing about his training - "writing but it has to be done and Hayley and Caroline were so supportive (Haddon Training Assessor and Literacy Support)"

Joe's final comments were: "I think I did good - really good. The only student to do L1 to Advanced - wicked and cool"! Definite approval from someone who never thought they could make it!