An ambitious young shepherdess who leapt into the farming industry with no industry experience or background has been celebrated with a Norfolk apprenticeship award.
Neave Jackson won the Apprentice of the Year award for intermediate or advanced apprenticeships in the annual competition run by Apprenticeships Norfolk.
The 22-year-old works for farming company JB Fletcher, based at Nordelph near Downham Market.
She is originally from East Sussex, where she started working for a local shepherd after developing an interest in agriculture - despite having no family background in the sector.
She moved to Norfolk in September 2021 to start two years of apprenticeship training at Easton College, near Norwich.
Awards judges said her journey "is an inspiring example of how an apprenticeship can pave the way to a new career".
Miss Jackson said: "I always wanted to work with animals, but farm animals were never on my radar.
"I did animal management at college and I was friends with many of the agriculture lot.
"I realised a year into my course that actually their lives seemed a lot better and more interesting than mine. I started hanging around their family farms, and then I fell into it from there.
"I have absolutely no regrets whatsoever. It is bloody hard work, but I would not change it for anything."
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Miss Jackson manages a flock of 2,500 breeding ewes with her Border collies Benji, Libby and Bud, and the farm also has 30 suckler cows.
"We fatten all our own lambs, so it is pretty full-on," she said. "Lots of electric fencing is my main thing in the winter, and we do all our own shearing."
When she finishes her apprenticeship in September, she has clear ambitions for her future career.
"In the future, I want my own flock and my own farm enterprise," she said. "That is the main goal, but in order to get there the next step would be something along the lines of head shepherd or manager of a big estate.
"You start out small, and eventually work your way up. You have just got to graft for it. It does not fall into your hands."
Although no-one in her family has any farming experience, Miss Jackson said her parents, Sariah and Mark, had embraced her career choice.
"My mum has fallen in love with it so much that she has got 20 of her own pet sheep," she said.
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Besides shepherding thousands of sheep throughout Norfolk and Cambridgeshire, the judging panel were impressed by Miss Jackson's "initiative and motivation" to introduce new software to the business, including the AgriWebb app which digitises records on livestock locations and the performance of animals in the flock.
As the farm’s sole employee, her "drive and collaborative spirit have led to increased business growth rates and profitability which is a truly remarkable achievement in addition to her outstanding apprenticeship work", they said.
Charlie Askew, a training co-ordinator at Easton College, said: "It is not always the case that those who have empathy with livestock are equally switched on to the needs of others, be it their work mates, employers, tutors or especially the general public.
"Neave is a shining example for any stockperson, thoughtful, proactive and caring with stock and people alike. We are proud to have her as an Easton College apprentice."
Fabian Eagle, Norfolk's cabinet member for growing the economy, said: "The inspiring journeys we heard about at the awards ceremony, remind us that for many, completing an apprenticeship is more than just having a job and a qualification, but is a huge personal achievement and something they will be proud of for their entire lives."
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