Former Barnfield student Harry Hubbard says he enjoyed the way his Barnfield NVQ course gave him the chance to specialise in the area he loves most - plastering.
"Life at Barnfield was brilliant - I stayed in digs in Luton and it was a great experience standing on my own two feet.
"I took to the course like a duck to water and found loads of prizes coming my way - first I was nominated for the regional Skillbuild finals and won the regional plastering award. Then I came fourth in the national Skillbuild finals and was awarded "Best First-Year Student in Plastering" by British Gypsum.
"I couldn't believe how well it was going - although the construction trade was in my family, I owed a lot to the teaching at Barnfield, too, which helped me polish my skills.
"Since leaving Barnfield I have gone on to supervise plastering contracts, firstly at the Open University in Milton Keynes. It was a long journey there every day from Essex, but totally worth it. The sense of responsibility was huge and I loved the challenge.
"I love the job and meeting different people every day. With a few more years' experience under my belt, I hope to get more involved in the family company and run some big sites.
"I'll need to undertake some more training courses in management, business planning and so on, but it will be worth it in the end to see the company grow and give a first-class service to our customers."
