An adult learner who balances his home life with training to improve his skills could be set to win an award.
Paul Quinn of Colchester is currently studying to become a biomedical scientist and is in the running to pick up an Adult Learners' Week Award, the Chelmsford Weekly News Reports.
Mr Quinn currently works as a lab support officer in the microbiology unit at the Colchester Hospital University BHS Foundation Trust, having started working there in 2007 when he was made redundant from his job as a postman.
He left school with only two GCSEs and, as he has five children "simply couldn't afford to be unemployed" after he lost his last role.
Since starting his new job he has gained NVQ Levels 2 and 3 in clinical laboratory support, which let him onto the three-year foundation degree course he is currently studying on.
However, he will have to do another two years of studying before he becomes fully qualified and it is because of this commitment that he has been nominated for the award by his NVQ assessor Carol Bryans.
If he is a winner when the results are announced in May, he will be given up to £1,500, which can be used to pay for his courses.
Emma Richards of Badgworth is one adult learner who has already won an award.
She was given a Teaching Assistant Student of the Year accolade earlier this month, This is Somerset reports, picked up the prize after completing an NVQ Level 3 in support teaching.
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