ACHIEVEMENTS, progress and milestones reached by students at Great Yarmouth College will be celebrated on Thursday at its Celebration of Achievement Awards.

ACHEIVEMENTS, progress and milestones reached by students at Great Yarmouth College will be celebrated next Thursday at its Celebration of Achievement Awards.

The event will put 51 students in the spotlight for a range of reasons - as students of the year, for most improvement, personal achievement for overcoming personal difficulties and challenges they face in their everyday lives and contribution to college life.

Tutors from each subject area nominated students they feel deserve to be singled out from programmes last year.

The finalists will receive their awards in front of friends, family, tutors and college governors at the ceremony in the college sports hall.

Most of the awards are sponsored by employers and businesses, reflecting the college's close working relationship with many industries.

It is the first 'honouring' of further education students for several years - more than 2500 study on full-time courses at the college - and will be the first of annual ceremonies.

Every year Great Yarmouth congratulates its higher education graduates with a graduation ceremony at St Nicholas Church and the college wanted to give the hard work and commitment of further education students similar recognition.

College staff will wear academic dress at the event and award winners will be photographed.

Mark Bayley, head of centre for sales and marketing, said the awards demonstrated the diversity of students at the college.

“We have got students from our ESOL (English as a Second Language) courses, adult learners who have returned to learning, learning development students and many examples of fantastic young people who have really achieved.”