From Apprenticeship to Adventure: A Journey of Growth, Travel, and New Horizons

Three years after completing an apprenticeship at Leicester Outdoor Pursuits Centre (LOPC), this inspiring update shares how a passion for outdoor learning shaped a rewarding career, sparked a love for travel, and led to life-changing experiences. From supporting young people in alternative education to solo backpacking across Italy, Thailand, and Canada — and now training as a canoe tripper in the Canadian wilderness — this journey is a testament to self-belief, resilience, and the courage to embrace new opportunities. Next stop: South America, and an exciting career goal with the Royal Air Force.

Thank you to Reanne for sharing her journey with us!

“A lot has happened in my professional career since completing my apprenticeship at LOPC and as one of your students, I wanted to give you an update. It has been around three years since we first met, you made me excited about education again, hungry to learn and better myself, you helped fuel my self-belief and your determination as a tutor allowed me to safely push my limits of what I thought I was capable of. Your patience, commitment and honest but direct feedback made you an approachable and supportive leader and I truly cannot thank you enough for being a teacher that helped change my life.

So, what did I do? After my apprenticeship I realised I loved learning new things and that all I ever needed was a teacher adaptable enough to meet me where I am at, so my needs can be met, which was why I considered going to university… Until, I saw a great job opportunity.

I accepted a job for an alternative provision at a company in Leicester called Enstruct. They focus on a holistic approach to learning in an outdoor setting, I would spend each day outdoors, working with a different school each day of the week supporting children struggling in a classroom setting. Although I was an assistant in this role, I enjoyed being the bridge between the young people and the instructor, developing a deeper connection with them. We taught these young people bushcraft, gardening, woodland management, hiking and most importantly, resilience. I worked here for the past 2 years supporting these students, further improving my use of outdoor tools, tree identification and absorbing as much information as I could, supporting rangers and local councils to maintain woodland areas. I have never had better relationships with colleagues, my team, boss and clients, I truly felt valued here and feel I had the space and support to grow so much as a person. My interpersonal skills and understanding of those with SEN needs improved massively and my experience with those with adverse childhood experiences was something I dealt with on a daily basis. I received so much praise to the point my boss congratulated me on being the member of staff who made the most safeguarding reports and I got to see the positive impact this made on each of these young people’s lives. It was super rewarding and really reawakened my inner child, healed a part of my younger self by helping others when they are in vulnerable states and my strengths in character began to shine. When I left I hand-wrote each of the teenagers I worked with a letter as closure and a testament to the impact they had on me and as something they could hold onto if they chose to.

It was while I was in this role working during school term times that the idea of travelling during half-terms and summer holidays came to me. And I began to solo-travel which further propelled my confidence and self-belief. I went to Italy for a week backpacking, where I met a Canadian girl in Rome that also helped change my life. After keeping in touch, she convinced me to go to Thailand with her the following year where I spent two weeks solo and two weeks with her there. I had the best time and it became clear to me that travelling was all I could now think about, so much so that I started questioning my career.

And so now, I email you from a cabin in the woods in Algonquin National Park in Ontario, Canada. I left my job with so many blessings from people back home to pursue some adventure overseas, I have been here almost 3 weeks training for my new role, a canoe tripper at Arowhon summer camp. This will consist of me and a co-tripper paddling with a group of young people into the wilderness with a 30l backpack each, some kit and a food barrel where we will do multiple portages and camp at a different campsite each night for a period of 3-6 days. We aren’t allowed deodorant during this time, due to the black bears being attracted to the smell and will need to set up bear canoes each night. We have access to sat phones and will need to navigate ourselves. We have done two practice trips and the children arrive at camp tomorrow. I am nervous but excited! I have already seen snapping turtles, a beaver and a moose!

I will be here for another few months in this role then after that I plan to backpack South America. My intention is to join the Royal Air Force as a Firefighter once I am back in the UK which is something I have been applying for for the past year and that I have wanted to do since I was 15 years old.”

This story is more than just a travelogue. It’s proof of how an apprenticeship can ignite a passion, build confidence, and create opportunities that ripple out into every part of life. From the first step as an Apprentice to the forests of Canada, this learner’s journey shows that when education is tailored, supportive, and rooted in real-world experiences, it can take you anywhere!