ADVENTURER, explorer and TV presenter Ben Fogle praised the commitment and dedication of students at the annual West Cheshire College Awards.

Chester Cathedral provided the venue for the Awards Ceremony where 41 high-achieving students received certificates to mark their hard work and success.

Congratulating the students he said: “Achievement of any kind comes from commitment, dedication and hard work – something all the award winners here have shown.”

Principal Sara Mogel said: “Everyone receiving a College Award has beaten off literally hundreds of competitors and shown they are truly gifted and talented within their chosen area.

“Sadly vocational skills aren’t held in high esteem in this country – but they are the skills which keep businesses afloat and will help us out of recession.

“The UK is one of the slowest nations to come out of recession – but this is not a surprise to those of us who work in the skills sector.

“History shows that the bigger the skills gap, the slower the country is able to respond to recession. We are very grateful to our award winners and their fellow students for trying to put this right for the nation.”

Engineering a successful career

VAUXHALL maintenance engineer Andrew Lambert’s desire to learn is so great that as soon as he completed his engineering Apprenticeship he signed up to study for a degree in mechanical engineering.

Andrew, 22, from Spital, Wirral, was interested in following his father’s footsteps and become an engineer but hadn’t studied the right A levels to get on to an engineering degree course.

He said: “I’ve always loved engineering and working on cars but hadn’t got the right qualifications to take it further so after a bit of research an Apprenticeship seemed ideal.

“It has been an excellent experience. Both the College and Vauxhall work really closely to support and mentor Apprentices, I’ve been paid while I’m learning and now have an interesting and varied job.

“It proves that you can do well outside school even if you don’t get masses of GCSEs and A Levels.”

And there’s no stopping Andrew who has now decided to broaden his career options to go into engineering design or take the management route.

He said: “I don’t know what my exact career goal is yet but I do know that my Apprenticeship, followed by a degree, means have skills, experience and qualifications to compete for the best jobs.

“The Apprenticeship programme worked really well for me, I’ve got a real sense of what I can achieve and I would recommend it to anyone.”

Fashioning a successful future

FASHION student Beth Fletcher-Hunt chose a unique way to spend her gap year after A levels – studying at College!

Beth, 20, started a degree straight after school but quickly realised she had chosen the wrong course, so decided to leave and take a gap year while she decided what to do next.

But determined not to waste the time she signed up for a BTEC Foundation in Art and Design, earned distinction and decided to go back to university – but this time for a different course.

She said: “When I first went to university I was studying fashion marketing and communications but it didn’t feel like the right course for me so I needed to look again.

“The College course built on the fashion aspect that I love but gave me a chance to also study graphic s and improve my skills.

“I really enjoyed it and I think I grew up a bit and realised that I did want to go to university and have now found a course that I’m much better suited to.”

Beth, from Upton, Chester, gained a distinction for her final project and won a place on a brand new Fashion Promotion course at Nottingham Trent University.

Realising a childhood dream

WHEN Debbie Linford was just 16 she told her careers teacher she wanted to be a social worker. She was laughed at and given an application form for a factory job.

With her confidence shattered Debbie decided instead to go into childcare and voluntary work in community centres, the Trades Union Centre and a mobile crèche.

Then motherhood beckoned and despite bringing up five children, now ranging in age from 11 to 20, Debbie, 46, from Ellesmere Port, never forgot her childhood ambition.

She decided to put the youngest child into the College’s nursery and attempted to go back to part time study, but found the experience overwhelming and again her ambition to become a social worker went on the back burner.

She said: “As soon as my youngest started high school I realised my children no longer needed a full-time mum so I plucked up the courage to try studying again.”

This time, with support from tutors and fellow students Debbie, who was recently diagnosed as dyslexic, successfully completed her Access to HE course.

She said: “I’m now at John Moores University studying social work and I’m still finding it hard to believe I’ve got here.

“I think it is harder for women because of the demands of being a mum and being out of the workplace can lead to a lack of confidence.

“But the effort has been worth it and I’d recommend anyone to try it.

“Second time around I was ready, I had lots of support and I’d say to anyone whose ever felt they failed at school – you’re not thick and you can do it. It’s never too late.

“It has been hard work but I now really can see a long-held dream becoming reality.”

Debbie was named at the University of Chester Award winner following her success on an Access to Nursing, Midwifery and Human Science course.

Award for Deaf Studies teaching assistant

SIGNER Erica Jones was named as the Chester Municipal Charities Award in Deaf Studies winner after successfully completing a series of British Sign Language courses and working alongside deaf students and staff at the College.

Erica, 40, from Tarporley spent most of her career as a childminder or working in offices but had been fascinated with sign language since childhood.

She said: “I really don’t know where the interest came from but it was something that interested me so five years ago I joined a BSL course at the College.

“Learning the basic vocabulary was quite straightforward but putting the words into BSL order is much harder because it’s so different from speaking order.”

But her efforts have paid off and now Erica has a job she loves working as a teaching assistant supporting deaf children within a mainstream school.

Erica hasn’t lost her links with the College though, not only does she go in regularly to keep up-to-date with her signing, her 15-year-old daughter is also studying for her Level 2 in Deaf Studies.

Access to success

AN ACCESS course in humanities, teaching and social sciences at West Cheshire College has given would-be teacher Gareth Griffiths the chance to study for a degree and lead to a career in teaching .

Gareth had already studied travel and tourism at the College and quickly found work as a travel rep.

He said: “Two seasons with Club 18-30 was enough so I came back and joined the prison service where I had a lot of opportunity to work with the education team helping prisoners improve their skills.

“I enjoyed it and decided I wanted to go into teaching but didn’t have a degree, or the qualifications needed to get into university.”

Garth’s Access to HE course gave him everything he needed to apply for a place and he is now studying food design and technology and John Moores University, which he plans to follow by a PGCE.

He said: “It was hard at first working full time, studying and making time for my son, but I got used to it and it has definitely been worth it.”

In addition to working, studying and making time for his family Gareth also became a student rep, became in involved induction events, meetings with prospective learners and raising issues on behalf of fellow students, earning him the Student Representative who has contributed most to student life Award.

Criminal success

STUDENT criminologist Wesley Henshaw is hoping his years of study will lead him into the police service and a life tracking and cracking computer crime.

Wesley, 24, from Ellesmere Port, who won the E Noel Humphries Award in Computing, came to College straight from school and successfully completed a first diploma in public services.

Due to home commitments he didn’t take his education any further and worked as a courier for a few years until, at the age of 21, he decided he wanted to go to university.

He said: “I hadn’t got the qualifications I needed so came back to do a BTEC National Diploma in IT software development. I’ve always been interested in computers so it made sense to take a subject I was strong in.

“It was hard coming back because I was still working part time and a lot of people on the course were much younger than me, but I soon settled in and found my stride.

“It’s given me the chance to take more control over my future career. My ambition is to join the police service, particularly working with computers, so I’m now studying criminology and John Moores University.”