Vocational Victory for High Flying Norwich Student

Piya Das, a former City College Norwich student, has been named VQ Learner of the Year 2010 for the East of England in the 24 and under category.  Piya, who is aiming to join the Royal Air Force as a Fighter Pilot or Engineering Officer, is an outstanding example of how vocational qualifications can provide a springboard for success.

The VQ Learner of the Year Awards are part of VQ Day on 23rd June, a national celebration of the people who gain vocational qualifications every year.  VQ Day aims to raise the stature and demonstrate the benefits of practical and vocational qualifications to future learners, employers, opinion formers and the wider public. 

Piya Das has now been invited to represent the region at the national VQ Day ceremony where the overall national VQ Learners of the Year for England will be announced.  The event, hosted by entertainment icon Arlene Phillips, is taking place at London’s Royal Horticultural Halls and will be attended by business leaders, MPs and other VIPs from the education community. National awards will also be presented to winners in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland on VQ Day.

Piya Das completed a National Diploma in Electrical & Electronic Engineering at City College Norwich.  On this course Piya was the only female, and she had some ground to make up on many of the other students.  Piya completed the course with flying colours and went on to successfully apply for a place at Queen Mary University in London, where she is now working towards an MEng in Aerospace Engineering. Thanks to her vocational qualification and her determination to succeed, Piya has also excelled in her university degree.  She now has one more year to complete before she plans to join the RAF as a Fighter Pilot or an Engineering Officer.

On being named a VQ Learner of the Year winner, 23 year-old Piya Das said: “I was shocked and surprised when I found out that I had won this award.  I am feeling on top of the world!”.  Piya added: “Determination is the key to success and if you work hard vocational qualifications can actually change your life”.     

Dick Palmer, Principal, City College Norwich, said: “As a national skills champion I am delighted that Piya, one of our former students, has been selected for this award.  Piya’s progression to the threshold of a skilled, challenging and exciting career with the RAF provides a great example of the rewarding opportunities that vocational qualifications can open up”.

David Lane, Marketing and Communications Director at independent education foundation Edge and a member of the judging panel, added: “There are many paths to success and we are delighted to be shining a well-deserved spotlight on the achievements of some of the best vocational learners in the country, such as Piya Das.”

Colleges, learning providers and employers around the country nominated their high-flying vocational students for the VQ Learner of the Year Awards in two categories: VQ Learner of the Year (aged 24 and under) and VQ Learner of the Year (aged 25 and over).  Nearly 500 learners were nominated in total, with nominations judged by a panel comprising of representatives from Edge, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, the Association of Colleges and Business in the Community.

For more information about VQ Day and the VQ Learner of the Year Awards, please visit www.vqday.org