XCEL STUDENT OF THE YEAR AWARDS 2009
Erica Gateley
Metskill
BTEC Manufacturing Engineering (Metalurgy)
WINNER OF
Xcel Further Education
Student of the Year
Xcel Further Education Student of the Year award
Erica Gateley, a laboratory metallurgist with Bridon International, originally started an apprenticeship in Metals Processing with Metskill, achieving along the way a NVQ level 3 in Laboratory and associated technical activities. During her placement at Corus she won the highly competed for position of area shift process metallurgist in an almost exclusively male environment.
Not content with her determined success so far, Erica hopes to enroll onto a Foundation degree course. She has resolutely pursued her ambition to better her life and has admirers amongst fellow trainees, apprentices and students as well as trainers and employers.
Erica said that she was extremely proud to win her award: “I feel privileged, shocked, stunned and extremely grateful to have won. I feel valued to have my hard work recognised.”
“This award means a lot to me. I have struggled through studying for two years whilst I worked 12-hour shifts, often having to attend college at 9am when I had worked the previous night until 6am. I have also faced a redundancy and am glad to say I have come through it with much better career prospects with my new company. Through hard work and determination, I have been able to achieve great results in my studies, and look forward to continuing with the help of my company Bridon international.”
“If I were to give any advice it would be mainly to try your best and work hard, and eventually your efforts will be rewarded. There may be times during your studying that its hard and you may be ready to give up, just take it one day at a time, always keeping your end goal in mind, try to imagine how it will feel when you’ve finally finished any your progress is rewarded. I have had many distractions from my study, but I’ve always persevered, and I’m looking forward to continuing my study at degree level,” she added.
An almost ideal example of what further education can offer both in itself and as a ladder to further achievement.”
Paul Weller, chair of judging, Xcel awards scheme.
