Just over a year ago, Jack was sleeping in a train station, unsure where his next meal was coming from. Today he is a Snow Camp apprentice with his sights set on a career in snowsports. That journey, from crisis to confident young professional, is exactly what our apprenticeship model was built to deliver. And it’s why we believe our approach has something to offer any small business thinking about taking on an apprentice.
Snow Camp is a national youth snowsports charity, but at heart we are a small employer. Every year we recruit apprentices through our own networks rather than a conventional jobs board. Referrals to our programmes come from youth workers, social workers and organisations like the YMCA, who know about us and know the young people who would benefit most from a role like this, but might never apply through normal channels. Those relationships matter because many of our apprentices have been through the care system, experienced homelessness or grown up in deprived communities where nobody has ever told them a career in sport is possible. Trust has to be built long before a contract is signed.
That trust is built through a pathway, not a single programme. Young people all start with First Tracks, their first ever experience of skiing or snowboarding. They move through Graduate, building teamwork and confidence and then Excel, where they work towards British Association of Snowsport Instructors (BASI) qualification. Only once they have completed that full journey do they apply to become paid Snow Camp apprentices themselves, supporting the next groups of young people starting out on their journey.
As apprentices, they work towards a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) Level 2 in Community Activator Coach, delivered with Coach Core and Lifetime Training in England and (SVQ) Level 2 in Sports Coaching in Scotland, delivered with SDC Learn. They take part in work placements with snowsports industry partners in the areas they most want to work, because that's where the jobs are. Impress a manager on placement and an apprentice can build a network that opens the door to employment once the year is over. They also complete mental health and first aid training and get dedicated CV and interview support. Our Futures Programme adds another layer, helping apprentices explore career and education routes beyond sport once their year with us ends. None of this happens by accident. It is a year long investment in each individual.
Jack's story shows what that investment can achieve. Referred to us while homeless and supported by the YMCA, he had no job experience and little stability when he arrived. "Snow Camp has helped me come out of my shell and be excited about the future," he told us. "I feel like I've started slowly turning my life around. Pushing myself through challenges on the slopes, working as part of a team and stepping outside my comfort zone all contributed to a real shift in how I see myself and what I'm capable of. I’ve become more confident, resilient and adaptable, qualities I hadn't fully developed before. I can't believe I'm looking at a career in snowsports." That shift, from surviving to planning a future, is what our apprenticeship exists to create.
As a small employer, none of this is straightforward. Training providers, wellbeing support and mentoring all cost time and money, costs that a larger organisation might absorb more easily. We have seen growing numbers of apprentices with autism, ADHD and dyslexia which meant investing this year in specialist training for our own Programme Managers and Wellbeing Managers. We only manage it because funders, partners and supporters help with the cost of getting it right and because we treat wrap-around support as essential not optional. That approach was recognised this July 2026 when Snow Camp was named a Top Apprenticeship Employer for 2026, the highest ranking charity!
We share that not to celebrate ourselves, but because it proves a small organisation can build a genuinely high-quality apprenticeship offer without the resources of a corporate giant.
I’ve always been a champion of apprenticeships. And since launching our first Apprenticeship Programme back in 2013, I’ve seen first-hand how impactful apprenticeships can be for young people from underserved communities and for us, bringing fresh perspectives and strengthening our staff team. If your business could offer a young person like Jack an opportunity, further training or if you want to talk through how we make our model work, we would love to hear from you.
Written by
Lara Kinnear, Snow Camp Managing Director, https://www.snow-camp.org.uk/