Former Derby College Student Wins Prestigious Accolade

A former Games Development student at Derby College’s Joseph Wright Centre has won a Bronze BTEC Award in recognition of his achievements.

Daniel Ash (19) joined the College from the Royal School for the Deaf Derby in his first experience of learning in a hearing environment and achieved some of the highest grades in the class. He has now progressed onto the University of Derby to study Games Modelling and Animation.

The BTEC Awards are made following nominations from teachers in recognition of high achieving students who have succeeded despite personal challenges whilst also being a beacon of positivity in their local community.

Daniel said: “I love gaming so wanted to come to College to learn how to design and develop my own games.

“It has been a great experience and I had a lot of support.  Getting this award has been a great way to finish my study programme with the College as I start on the next chapter of my learning.”

Teacher Leigh Champion added: “Daniel has achieved a great deal during his time at College and achieved some of the highest grades in the group.

“He showed particular resilience and commitment during the pandemic when learning had to be done remotely and we wanted to reward this by nominating him for a BTEC award.”

Award winners were recognised by Pearson in over twenty categories, including Health and Social Care, Engineering, Music, Esports and Creative Media, with each winner selected from thousands – and often tens of thousands – of eligible students.

Freya Thomas Monk, Senior Vice President for Vocational Qualifications and Training, said: “After two long years spent giving or receiving lessons behind a computer screen, through face masks, or socially distanced, 2022 has been a whirlwind for everyone involved in education.

“Considering this, it makes the inspiring achievements documented in Daniel’s submission all the more impressive. The hard work and commitment that he – and all our award winners – demonstrated is extraordinary.”

Hundreds of thousands of learners across the globe have completed BTEC courses over the past year. The career-focused qualifications are a vital route for those pursuing careers in sectors such as IT, business, the creative industries, healthcare, engineering, construction and future industries.

Pearson has overseen BTEC qualifications for over 30 years and is recognised in over 60 countries. Employers know that a BTEC qualification will mean candidates are work-ready and have the knowledge, skills and behaviours to contribute from day one in the workplace. Pearson’s practical, vocational BTEC qualifications continue to be respected as a valuable route straight into employment and are also accepted by all but one of Britain’s universities as a route into employment via higher education.