Hard study yields awards (From Malvern Gazette)

Hard study yields awards

10:12am Friday 20th July 2007 in News

A TEENAGER from Malvern was named South Worcestershire Trainee of the Year at an awards ceremony at Malvern Theatres.

The awards were part of the Vocational, Inclusion and Participation (VIP) Project, set up to encourage school students to follow vocational studies as well as their normal school subjects.

And Gareth Howells, from Malvern, who attends the St Mary's Pupil Referral Unit in Redditch, came top in South Worcestershire.

He enrolled in a Skills For Life bricklaying course in Malverm, qualified and had now won a place on a carpentry course at Worcester College of Technology, which starts in September.

Other finalists from the area included Connie Horgan from the Chase, qualified on the Level One hairdressing course at Malvern Hills College. She also spent a day a week on work experience at Andrew's Hair Studio in Malvern Link, where she was described as "very confident and helpful".

Craig Daly of Dyson Perrins High School, took the BTEC Introductory Certificate in Customer Service at Worcester College of Technology, and worked one day a week at the Abbey Hotel, where he was given a tip by comedian Freddie Starr.

And Chloe Field, of Hanley Castle High School, took a course in Uniformed Services at Worcester College, and has now been accepted on a sports course.

Sandra Howells, the VIP area co-ordinator, said: "Many of these students have worked through very difficult circumstances to achieve their qualifications."