If anyone is a shining example that agriculture in Wales is still alive and kicking, it’s Breconshire’s Matthew Vaughan! Young entrepreneur, Matthew, decided to carry on learning beyond his school years to ensure his farm and fencing businesses go from strength to strength.

Matthew has achieved a tremendous amount for someone his age, not only running his very own 200-acre upland sheep and beef farm, but also managing both a hedging and fencing business, and a sheep shearing business. As Matthew says: "It’s hard work, but you get out of life what you put in!"

Training has been very important to Matthew’s success. In 2001 he completed a BTEC National Diploma in Upland and Hill Farming, and in 2002 he was voted Newton Rigg College’s Student of the Year.

"The National Diploma involved a lot of practical work, much of which could be done at home on the farm," says Matthew.

Although the diploma had provided Matthew with a lot of the skills he needed - particularly the practical skills essential for the job - he decided to take his studying even further, and went on to complete an NVQ Level 4 in Livestock Management.

"The NVQ was brilliant!" he says. "It was so flexible. In farming, you tend to get weeks when you’re really busy and others when you’re not so busy. With the NVQ, I could fit the work in when it was convenient."

"It was good because it provided me with more of the management skills I needed for my businesses too," he continues. "It was also more specialised, and taught me why you need to carry out certain tasks, and when."

So how does Matthew think his training has benefited his businesses?

"My training has helped me with all my businesses, not only providing me with practical skills, but giving me the ability to handle my accounts and paperwork as well. It’s been particularly useful with my contracting and sheep shearing business, where I have to produce time tables for the work and help customers."

Matthew must be doing something right. "My hedging and fencing business and shearing business are going from strength to strength!" he says. "In the future, I’d also like to expand my upland sheep and beef farm."