Three young Achievers of the Year were praised by their local AM after winning Welsh awards last week.Zoe Dare and Michael Ward, both from Aberystwyth, and Natasha from Carmarthenshire fought many difficulties to win awards at the Rathbone Cymru event.
Local Assembly Member JOYCE WATSON paid tribute to them, saying:
“Zoe, Michael and Natasha are an example to us all. They have all overcome adversity to come this far and these awards are well deserved.
Zoe Dare won the Preparation for Life and Work Achiever Award. She is studying NVQ Level 1 in Business Administration and is on work placement at Rathbone Cymru’s Aberystwyth learning centre, where they say she is efficient, polite and always willing to learn. Before coming to Rathbone Zoe was unsure about her choice of career path, but she now has more confidence and determination to follow her dreams.
Mrs Watson said: “Zoë’s family must be so proud of her and I know she has a great future ahead.”
Michael Ward won the NVQ Achiever Award. He had dropped out of a mechanics course before joining the Rathbone learning centre in Aberystwyth.
He has enjoyed work experience tasters and is on a placement in his local Spar while taking his NVQ Level 1 in Retail. Like Zoe he has grown in confidence, self-belief and motivation and has attracted praise from colleagues.
Mrs Watson said: “It’s a pleasure to meet such a bright, enthusiastic young man. It’s hard to imagine how shy Michael used to be, and I wish him well.”
Natasha Robinson won the Preparation for Life and Work Achiever Award. She is studying NVQ Level 1 in Business and Administration and is on work placement at Allied Healthcare.She had been offered a hairdressing apprenticeship at Toni and Guy in London but was unable to make this long term commitment. Natasha comes from a large family and she helps her mother look after her siblings along with completing qualifications and her work experience.
Mrs Watson said: “Like Natasha I come from a large family. As someone who left school early through illness then got my degree later in life I am proud to see her hard work and commitment to improving herself.”
The Achiever of the Year Awards rewards young people from across Wales for their determination to overcome barriers they have faced with education, employment and training.
Almost 1,600 young people every year benefit from Rathbone Cymru’s Skillbuild Programme, which is funded by the National Assembly.
Images: top left, Joyce with Zoe Dare and Michael Ward, middle right, Joyce with Natasha Robinson.
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