An apprentice has landed his dream job — to lead an outdoor adventure youth club that he was a member of throughout his teenage years.

Adam Sargeant (22), has become a part-time associate tutor at the Mill Adventure Base, Sutton, after successfully completing a two-and-half-year apprenticeship.

Adam, (pictured), of Mappleton Way, Sutton, first attended the Mill’s weekly youth club as a 12-year-old, and was immediately hooked on the wide range of outdoor activities, such as kayaking and mountain biking.

While working on a Nottinghamshire County Council apprenticeship at the adventure base, Adam completed a Level 3 Sport Leadership qualification, and will now work three days a week for the council’s Outdoor and Environmental Education Service at the Mill.

He will lead some of the youth sessions he was once a member of, which take place on Saturdays for eight- to 19-year-olds, and help young people to learn kayaking, climbing, and other outdoor pursuits and develop skills such as team building.
Adam will also lead activities off-site, including a coast-to-coast bike ride in the summer with a local school.

He said: “I come from an active family who have been heavily involved in the Scouts, so when I heard 10 years ago there was an outdoor pursuits centre close to where we lived I was keen to get involved, and joined its youth club.

“I was not sure how to go about getting in to this sort of work after school so I was grateful to the council when the opportunity to become an apprentice came up.

“I am thrilled to now become a part-time member of staff. My experiences here as a teenager will help young people because I can remember what it was like to learn new skills and build confidence through outdoor activities.”

The Mill is part of the council’s Outdoor and Environmental Education Service and supports around 9,000 teenagers each year to take part in outdoor activities through purpose-built apparatus, including a climbing wall and artificial climbing tubes, and taking advantage of the King’s Mill Reservoir for water-sports and mountain biking.

Centre manager Drew Cartwright said: “It is a wonderful story of personal achievement that Adam has been involved with the Mill since he was 12 and will now be working to help inspire today’s teenagers. It is a great example of how our apprentice scheme works.”

Apprenticeship opportunities with the council are available across Nottinghamshire in many career areas, such as business administration, customer service and youth work.
For informantion, go to www.futuresadvice.co.uk/apprenticeships, call 0845 850 8899 or email apprentice [email protected]