We were proud to host our 11th Annual BTEC Awards recently – a celebration of students taking this vocational qualification across the globe. This was the fifth Awards I’ve hosted in my time at Pearson, and it’s always a true highlight of every summer for me. Held online for the second year running due to coronavirus, I was glad we were still able to celebrate the hard work and commitment demonstrated by our BTEC students (and educators), who have achieved such great things during a time of unprecedented disruption, pursuing and achieving the next steps on their chosen career path.
As the world continues to adjust to the pandemic and widespread change across global industries, it’s never been more important to celebrate those in college, in school or studying as an adult who are taking vocational courses to equip themselves with the knowledge, behaviours and practical skills that employers need. The past year has brought into sharp focus the crucial role that vocational and technical education plays in supporting the economy and communities across the country, something that I believe will continue long into the future as existing and emerging industries continue to develop.
This year’s Awards ceremony saw 700 nominations, from 31 countries, across 19 category awards in subjects such as Health and Social Care, Construction, Engineering, IT, Business, Performing Arts and Sport. Here is a small selection of the inspiring stories of our winners from across the world, and you can read about all the 2021 winners here.
Congratulations to all our winners and I can’t wait to see what they go on to achieve next!
The BTEC Young Learner of the Year was awarded to Lily Carcaterra from Stafford, England, who has been studying for a BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Business. Lily shone through as a person of great strength. She juggles numerous commitments – caring for her disabled sister, advocating for others at her college and gaining paid work experience in tandem with her studies. Powered by the determination to build a bright future through sheer hard work and academic achievement, she is independent, empathic, high-achieving, resilient and remarkable.
The BTEC Creative Media Learner of the Year 2021 was awarded to Tiago Bastos Nunes from Lisbon, Portugal. Studying for a BTEC Higher National Diploma (HND) in Cinema and Television at ETIC, Tiago shone through as a born storyteller and his films have premiered in competition at national and international festivals including the prestigious Toronto film festival where he won Student Film of the Year 2021. He is a passionate innovator and his teachers describe him as an exceptionally dedicated student, achieving the highest grades in all areas of his course. He is also a fierce mentor and inspiration to his classmates who he represents as a student ambassador.
The BTEC Performing Arts Learner of the Year 2021 was awarded to Wilbert Kapinga, who is studying at the Braeburn International School Arusha, Tanzania. Wilbert shone through as a student with many talents, pulling off a stunningly haunting lead role in Macbeth then won Sportsman of the Year at his school in the same year. The commitment and energy he brings to his roles are admired by all. Rehearsing late into the night after school and delving deep into the characters he plays, his dedication to the art of performing is outstanding. Wilbert’s BTEC has helped him not only to follow his passion for acting but also to ‘discover himself’ as an actor, a leader and mentor. Our judges describe him as ‘dedicated, conscientious, thorough, determined and obviously very talented.
Cindy Rampersaud is SVP for BTEC and Apprenticeships at Pearson.