Nesrin Sokucu was Highly Commended for the second time this year  

The College's table at the Archant Business Awards 2009 

A young fashion student from the College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London has won her second prestigious award this year at a glitzy ceremony held at Wembley Stadium.

Nesrin Sokucu, who completed a BTEC First Diploma in Art and Design as a Young Apprentice at the College, was ‘Highly Commended’ in the Apprentice of the Year category of the North and West London Business Awards.

Nesrin’s latest success comes on top of her achievement at the annual Skills for London Awards held in July, where she was also Highly Commended in the Young Apprentice Category.

Looking back on her latest success, Nesrin said: “I’m really happy with my award, and I had a fantastic night. The venue was bigger than I expected, and the whole event was very glamorous. Everyone at my table was lovely.” 

Nesrin’s BTEC Diploma course saw her study one day a week at the College with the rest of the week spent at school. Having now moved on from the College, Nesrin is studying for four A-Levels, and is aiming for a place at University and then a career as a fashion designer. “If that doesn’t work out”, she says: “I’ll be happy doing anything as long as it’s creative and arty”. Nesrin credits her time at the College with starting her off on the path to her dream career: “I had a great time there and basically learned everything I still need – getting the experience of being at College as a Young Apprentice has really set me up well for all my studies.”  

Paul Head, the College’s Principal said: “Nesrin is a wonderful example of the talent and commitment that we strive to foster in all of our learners, and her achievements also show the benefits of vocational courses like Apprenticeships. We’re proud to have started her off on such a promising path, and everyone at the College wishes her every success in the future.”

The College was a leading sponsor of the Archant Business Awards for the second year running, maintaining a high profile as a top provider of training to employers across London and further afield. Phil Gowan, The College’s Director of Vocational Skills, presented the award for Business Person of the Year to Winona Holl of the boutique food company Winona's Fresh Organic.

The glittering evening was hosted by BBC Journalist Louisa Preston. The guest speaker was Dennis Turner, Chief Economist for HSBC. As a sponsor of the event, the College’s Employment Training Solutions (ETS) team were able to invite some of their valued clients to attend and enjoy the ceremony and entertainment in the luxurious surroundings of Wembley’s Bobby Moore suite.

Susan Neal, head of ETS, said: “it was a fantastic evening, and a good opportunity for us to thank some of our clients for enabling us to deliver high quality training in their workplaces. Everyone at our table was very proud of Nesrin’s achievement. She clearly has a bright future ahead of her."