Last week, former Bolton College hairdressing apprentice, Sarah Ratcliffe, was highly commended in the Advanced Apprentice of the Year category at the National Apprenticeship Awards 2013, in Birmingham.

Sarah, 23, successfully made it through the regional final earlier this year, where a high number of candidates went head-to-head for the prestigious accolade of North Westâs Apprentice of the Year.

She said: "I'm absolutely thrilled to have been highly commended at the National Apprenticeship Awards and hope that this achievement will inspire young people to take up an apprenticeship and use the invaluable experience they'll gain to achieve their full potential." Sarah started her Level 2 apprenticeship in hairdressing on a day release at Bolton College in 2008. In March 2013, the award-winning apprentice completed her Level 3 and took a significant leap by opening her very own hair salon, Sarah's Hair, at the tender age of 23.

Marie Gilluley, Principal of Bolton College, said: "The National Apprenticeship Awards celebrate the country's top apprentices and we couldn't be more proud of Sarah and her exceptional achievement making it to the national finals.

"Sarah is a true inspiration to young people wanting to start their own business. We look forward to building a lasting relationship with her in a bid to motivate current and future students, as she is a sterling example of what can be achieved through hard work and dedication."

Apprenticeships offer practical training opportunities in the workplace, providing employees with the skills they need to build a career and employers access to committed workers who can fill a skills gap and contribute towards achieving the organisation's objectives. Bolton College has a successful track record for delivering high quality government-backed apprenticeships with businesses in the local area.

Bolton College's comprehensive range of full and part-time courses enable students to acquire industry-leading skills through training that is specifically designed to help them enter the workplace.

Learners are taught a wide range of vocational skills, which are available throughout the year, delivered from many of its sites in Bolton town centre and the broader borough.