Not sure what's next?
If you're unsure what career is right for you, want to build real-world skills, or simply know you're looking for something more meaningful than a typical gap year, Gapforce Adventure Guide Training could be the experience that changes your direction.
Kirsty arrived on the course looking for adventure. She left with professional qualifications, a job offer, and a completely new level of confidence.
"I knew I wanted adventure. I just didn't know how to get into the industry."
Before joining Gapforce, Kirsty had explored several different paths.
She had worked in teaching and charity projects in Fiji, enjoying both experiences but still searching for something that felt like the right fit.
"I knew I wanted something challenging and I wanted adventure," she explains. "I wanted to get into the industry, but I just didn't know quite how to do that."
Like many people considering a gap year, she wasn't looking for another holiday. She wanted an experience that would challenge her, develop her skills and open doors for the future.
Gapforce Adventure Guide Training offered exactly that.
More than a gap year – a qualification for life
What stood out to Kirsty was that the Training course combined professional training with genuine adventure.
Rather than gaining just one certification, the programme brings together a broad range of leadership, expedition and outdoor skills in one intensive experience.
"It was all-encompassing," she says. "It gave me everything I needed to get into the industry."
For students who don't yet know what career they want, Adventure Guide Training offers something incredibly valuable: transferable skills.
Leadership. Decision making. Teamwork. Communication. Problem solving. Resilience.
These are qualities that employers value in every industry, whether your future lies in travel, education, conservation, business or something completely different.
Discovering who you are
The biggest surprise for Kirsty wasn't the jungle, it was what she discovered about herself.
The course places trainees in unfamiliar environments where they learn to lead, receive professional feedback and reflect on how they work with others.
"There's a lot of self-reflection on this course," Kirsty explains.
"That's challenging. Sometimes you hear things about yourself that you need to change or improve. But it's also really rewarding because you can actually see yourself growing."
For many leader trainees, this period of personal growth becomes just as valuable as the technical qualifications they earn.
Taking time away from formal education and employment allows you to gain perspective, understand your strengths and return to university or your career – with far greater confidence.
Learning to thrive outside your comfort zone
Adventure Guide Training isn't designed to be easy.
Living in the Costa Rican jungle, adapting to changing conditions and working closely with people from different backgrounds all push participants beyond what they thought they were capable of.
"Jungle life is challenging," Kirsty laughs. "You're constantly dirty and there are mosquitoes everywhere – but I loved it."
One of her favourite experiences was the survival phase, where participants relied on their own skills to build shelter and live in the rainforest.
Another highlight was working alongside the Bribri Indigenous community, gaining a deeper understanding of local culture and traditional ways of life.
"It was about going into the jungle with nearly nothing apart from myself and my own skills, and learning to thrive within it."
Experiences like these create resilience that lasts long after the course has finished.
From student to expedition leader
By the end of the programme, Kirsty's hard work had paid off.
She graduated with a strong pass and received a job offer from Gapforce.
"I've been very lucky to receive a job offer here at Gapforce," she says.
"I owe a lot to the instructors. They've taught me so much."
Now she's building a career leading expeditions abroad while continuing to develop new skills, including plans to earn her PADI diving qualification.
Her story demonstrates that a gap year doesn't have to delay your future – it can become the foundation of it.
Is Adventure Guide Training right for you?
Not everyone starts a gap year knowing exactly where they're headed. Lots of people simply know they want to do something worthwhile.
If you enjoy the outdoors, embracing new challenges and want to hone skills that will stay with you for life, Adventure Guide Training offers far more than travel alone.
As Kirsty puts it:
"If you're someone that hasn't found a niche or hasn't quite found a career that fits, but you thrive in the outdoors and enjoy challenging yourself, this is the course for you."
"You get to live in the jungle, you're thrown into different situations and you learn so much about yourself."
The best investment you can make during your gap
At the end of her journey, Kirsty didn't hesitate when asked whether she'd recommend the course.
"Hands down, it's the best money I think I've ever spent."
For anyone standing at the crossroads between school, university or the next stage of life, that may be the greatest value of Gapforce Adventure Guide Training.
It's not simply about learning to lead expeditions.
It's about discovering what you're capable of, gaining qualifications recognised within the adventure travel industry, and developing the confidence to choose your own path - wherever that may lead.
Ready to invest in yourself?
Discover how Gapforce Adventure Guide Training can help you build leadership skills, gain industry qualifications and turn your gap year into the start of an exciting future.
Click here more information about Gapforce’s Adventure Guide Training.
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