Sheffield vocational students share their hopes for the future as they prepare for university

Vocational qualifications develop theoretical knowledge and practical hands-on skills in a wide range of curriculum areas including creative and design, engineering, construction and technology, and land-based sport and protective services.

Students start at the right level qualification for them and have the opportunity to progress to the next level up to A Level and degree equivalents.

Students’ achievements this summer follow an unprecedented academic year with the Covid-19 lockdown which led to a move to remote learning, in March 2020, to keep them safe.

Anita Straffon, deputy chief executive at The Sheffield College said: “I am incredibly proud of our students whose hard work and resilience has paid off following a tough year with the unsettling impact of Covid-19.

“It’s vital that we equip our students with the vocational skills that employers need as part of a regional skills-led recovery. Vocational qualifications do just that and enable our students to go further in employment and education.”

Harry Baker achieved a top set of grades in his vocational qualifications. His career aim is to become a laboratory researcher working on disease and infection.

The 20-year-old has completed a BTEC Diploma in Health and Social Care at Level 3at the College’s City Campus and achieved three distinction stars (D*, D*, D*). Harry is now going on to Sheffield Hallam University to study a Degree in Biomedical Science. Harry said: “It has been tough coping with the lockdown but I managed to deal with it by staying active. My main focus has been to go to university and I don’t want to defer that, I just want to move on now to the next level of my education and career.”

Julian Yuste is looking forward to returning to Sheffield from Gibraltar to start university after achieving top grades in his vocational qualification. Julian, aged 24, gained three distinction stars (D*D*D*) in a BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the college.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

FROM THE EDITOR

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