A single mum who retrained after being made redundant from her council job has won a regional education award.

Emma Booth is one of two Bradford College students who will receive awards at a ceremony during Adult Learners’ Week which starts on Monday.

She will be presented with her award, Regional Individual Award Winner, by the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education alongside Masters student Farha Patel, the Highly Commended Regional Award Winner, at The Rose Bowl, Leeds, on Thursday.

Miss Booth, 32, is 18 months into a four-year apprentice electrician course which she started when she was made redundant from her job as a council tenant officer at Kirklees Council.

She has also visited schools to give inspirational lectures relating to the challenges and opportunities within the construction industry.

College lecturer David Ho, who nominated her, said: “Her resolute motivation, dedication and her willingness to study at both college and home, as well as activities promoting women in construction to local schools, have all led her to being nominated for this award.”

Mrs Patel, 44, has been in education for 15 years, initially enrolling at the college on short, part-time courses. Her progress is such that she is now studying towards a Masters in education while working part-time as an English Speakers of Other Languages lecturer at the college.

Her studies have given her the confidence to do community work with asylum seekers, refugees, job seekers and people with terminal illnesses, and she recently became a governor for Challenge College in Frizinghall.

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