Changing career lanes

Two Bedford College construction apprentices came top in their class in the regional division of the National Apprenticeships Awards 2021.

Kelly Durham-Flinter won the Advanced Apprentice of the Year. Kelly, of Bedford, now works for Bedford Borough Council and is moving into Environmental Engineering. She was previously a quality control engineer at a ceramics manufacturer but always had an interest in civil engineering – more particularly bridge building. When looking for an apprenticeship for her son, she realised she could be a mature apprentice, applied and is now heading towards a job she couldn’t have dreamed of when at school.

Jo Adkins, of Little Addington, Northamptonshire, won the regional Higher / Degree Apprentice of the Year. She has been working for highways in Northants and is now doing the job she really wanted: Traffic Engineer – keeping the roads moving across the county.

Jo commented:

“As an ‘ageing’ student trying to switch careers with no previous experience in the field I wanted, I was nervous. I wanted to repay the chance given to me by my family and the college and my employer.”

“I hope students realise how fortunate they are, and that if they work hard they will succeed.”

The Bedford College Group has a wide range of construction training facilities across Beds and Northants ranging from entry level full-time courses to apprentices for people aged 16 and over, higher diplomas and degrees.

To find out more about the vast array of apprenticeships we offer, please click here.