City College Plymouth hosted its annual Entry to Employment (e2e) Achiever of the Year Awards 2008-2009 - recognising the young people who exceeded all expectations of the e2e programme.

e2e is a learning programme primarily aimed at young people aged 16-18 who are not participating in any form of post-16 learning. It is designed to help develop motivation and confidence, personal effectiveness and basic and key skills, and to give a range of opportunities to gain vocational knowledge, skills and understanding. The aim is that they will progress into a Modern Apprenticeship, further learning and/or a job.

One of e2e's many success stories is Callum Amos - who joined the programme in September 2007. Callum achieved good GCSE results but was troubled by personal circumstances and therefore was unsure as the best career path to take.

Through e2e Callum was introduced to various career paths and found he had an interest in engineering and after an initial assessment he started work as a Programme Led Apprentice. Since then he has progressed immensely and is now completing an Advanced Apprenticeship in Engineering. On completion Callum is undertaking a BTEC National Diploma and then aims to progress onto a full degree in engineering.

As a result of Callum's character, determination and hard work the University of Plymouth has changed the way they recruit for their apprentices and will now look at those on Programme Led Apprenticeships - As Callum has opened their eyes to the potential on offer.

The e2e programme at City College Plymouth has one of the highest success rates in the country, with 63% of its students gaining employment with training, further education and Apprenticeships.

Steve Murphy, e2e Operations Manager commented: "This is a fantastic opportunity to recognise our students and all they have achieved.

"It's such an honour to see these students walk through our doors, from all walks of life - unsure of what the future will hold, and leave as confident, focussed young individuals with real purpose and direction."