A Brecon based business is galloping towards the finish after beating hundreds to be shortlisted for this years Apprenticeship Awards Cymru finals.
Happy Horse Retirement Home Ltd, which provides care and living space for elderly horses in Crai, is one of two companies up for the Small Employer of the Year category.
Opened in 1989 by Nicky Van Dijk and her husband, it was the first private retirement home for horses in the UK and now looks after 50 horses.
The equine retirement home, with help from Coleg Cambria, helps to train new staff with a variety of skills including from foundation to higher apprenticeships with tailored personal training designed to achieve personal goals.
Coleg Cambria’s equine assessor Katy Davies said: "There is a real shortage of skilled workers in the equine industry and even more so in these remote places in Wales. Nicky enables young people to find their niche, gain valuable qualifications and set themselves up for a successful future."
The company was also involved with the awards last year as the assistant manager, Marc Pugh, won the Jobs Growth Wales Outstanding Achiever Award.
Now with over 36,000 followers on Facebook, it has a team of eight people which includes two current apprentices as well as senior staff who originally started as apprentices from Jobs Growth Wales.
Nicky Van Dijk said: "Apprentice schemes are pivotal to our business in building and developing a sustainable team at a time when recruitment in rural areas is problematic."
"I feel very excited and honoured to be shortlisted for the competition, it brings recognition to our company which has supported young learners for many years. I am very proud that our trainees move on to contribute to our wider community and local economy."
The Apprenticeship Awards Cymru, which is funded by the Welsh Government with support from the European Social Fund, has 11 categories containing a total of 30 contestants.
The awards, organised by the Welsh Government and National Training Federation for Wales (NTfW), will host the finals at the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport on Friday, October 20.
Sponsored by Pearson PLC and supported by Media Wales, the awards will celebrate everybody who has contributed to the development of the Welsh Government’s Traineeships and Apprenticeship programmes.
Julie James, the Skills and Science Minister, said: "Apprenticeships and vocational skills training are essential ingredients of economic success and vital tools in building a stronger, fairer and more equal Wales."
"I welcome the fact that more employers are recognising the value of our successful apprenticeship programme and the need to raise higher level skills in order to address skill gaps and respond to industry changes."