RACHEL’S OUTWARD BOUND EXPERIENCE PROVES LIFE CHANGING
Our goal at BCITO is to help and support each of our apprentices to be as successful as possible in their development. To help achieve this goal, we formed a group of 15 apprentices to work with us and all of our apprentices across all of our industry sectors. These apprentices are called Apprentice Leaders, and together they form the Apprentice Leadership Group.
Our apprentice leaders were recently invited to participate in an Outward Bound Course that focused on team building and personal development, and we caught up with them all to learn more about their experience and what they learned.
Today, we are delighted to share the transformative journey of Katelia Usman, (who goes by Rachel), one of our Kitchen Apprentices. Rachel's experience during the Outward Bound Course was admittedly challenging but ultimately life-changing.
Among the many highlights, one that stood out for Rachel was the opportunity to be in nature alongside the remarkable people of the leadership group. Rachel really valued being pushed beyond her limits and outside her comfort zone.
Rachel shared that she’s "learnt to be more open, to trust people, and to let my walls down. I've gained greater empathy for others and developed self-confidence and self-belief. Engaging in all these activities made me realise that I'm much stronger than I initially thought. Around 95% of the activities took me completely out of my comfort zone. If you give it your all and stay open to the experience, you learn and grow tremendously."
She also mentioned the significance of the follow-up calls with BCITO after the course. "We had five BCITO follow-up calls after the actual course, with one of the facilitators. I believe these calls amplified the transformation because we discussed the experience and how we can apply the learnings in our everyday lives."
The Outward Bound is a “life-changing experience, something completely unexpected. Once I completed it, I was immensely grateful for the opportunity. It's a journey that offers valuable lessons, even for those who may think they are old enough, mature enough, or experienced enough. There's always something new to learn. So, I'd definitely recommend it to anyone.”
Rachel's journey at Outward Bound captures the true essence of the programme, where personal growth, pushing one's boundaries, and fostering deep connections within a team are celebrated. We take pride in having Apprentice Leaders like Rachel, who embrace the opportunity for personal development and are keen to share their positive experiences with others.
