A DOUBLE award was presented to a student at West Cheshire College by a rugby ace.

Nicola Seabury, administrator and HR manager at Youth Federation in Ellesmere Port, is celebrating after picking up two awards from Austin Healy.

Nicola, who recently completed a Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) qualification at West Cheshire College, has won the national CIPD Outstanding Student Award as well as the college’s Personnel Student of the Year.

Nicola, 32, from Chester, said: “I have worked in adminisSTRICYtration for the last 14 years but had always wanted to go into HR. A few years back I did a certificate in personnel practice then moved onto the CIPD Professional Development Scheme.”

While studying for her qualifications and working at Youth Federation, a charity that helps disadvantaged young people in Cheshire, Halton, Warrington and Wirral, Nicola took on the task of creating a dedicated HR function for her employer.

The judges for both awards praised Nicola for her ability to put her studies to effective practice and highlighted how she developed new processes, systems and policies while engaging with managers.

“I was shocked when I was announced as the winner of the CIPD award but proud of myself for everything I have achieved,” said Nicola. “When I found out I had won an award at the college too – well, it was just the icing on the cake!”

West Cheshire College offers a wide range of recognised professional qualifications, including Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), Chartered Management Institute (CMI) and Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM). For further information, call the employer hotline on 01244 670499.