A New Tredegar mother, a Blackwood man and a Crosskeys teenager were among the winners at the annual Learner of the Year Awards held by the UHOVI (University Heads of the Valleys Institute) at the University of South Wales.
Phil Chater, of Blackwood, studied Leadership and Management on a work-based learning course with ACT Training in Tredegar.
He was one of ten winners at the event which was hosted by Heart FM breakfast duo Jagger and Woody, with Welsh tenor Wynne Evans on hand to present the awards.
Phil, who works at Coleg Gwent in a business development role, said: “I feel privileged to be a Learner of the Year, and I’m delighted that the hard work paid off. You never know what you can achieve until you try. I’m looking to continue to develop.”
Phil was nominated by Chris Hughes, ILM Management Trainer at ACT Training.
Mum-of-three Lynda Porter, from New Tredegar, studied a Foundation Degree in Digital Photography at Coleg y Cymoedd in Nantgarw.
Her tutor Peter Britton said: “Out of all the students that I teach, Lynda was the ideal candidate because she’s supportive to other students, she helps other students in class, as a photographer she has progressed wonderfully and she’s really looking forward to embarking on a photographic career.”
Callum Mitchell, 17, of Crosskeys, studied an introduction to entrepreneurship in Welsh with Coleg Cenedlaethol Cymraeg at the University of South Wales, while attending Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni.
Callum said: “The UHOVI Learner of the year Award came as a shock to win but I feel privileged to have won.
“Hopefully I will go to university to study Business and Economics because this has given me a taste of what it that would be like and confirmed my interest in the subject.”