MORE than a hundred higher education students of Craven College celebrated the end of a very successful year at the college's annual graduation ceremony.

Led by college principal, Robert Bellfield and guest speaker, Dr Alison Birkenshaw OBE, the students in cap and gown walked in procession from the High Street campus to the ceremony at Holy Trinity Church.

At the church, they were joined by hundreds of delighted family members and friends, all keen to celebrate their success.

Dr Birkenshaw, President of the Association of Colleges, presented the certificates and special awards to students.

The past year has been a very successful one for graduates, with 77 per cent achieving either a 2:1 or first class honours degree. In addition, 51 per cent of students who took foundation degrees achieved either a merit or a distinction.

The college now looks forward to the completion next year of its new animal management centre at the Aireville Campus, which will mean better and extended facilities for future animal science students.

Principal, Mr Bellfield told the graduates, family and friends, that students were part of a nationwide movement in that they studied degree level courses at a college and called on all to support their local college.

"More than 175,000 students across the UK complete higher education qualifications in further education colleges," he said.

"I think it is important that a viable network of local further education colleges is maintained that serve local needs and therefore I would like to enlist the support of you all in supporting your local college and advocating its value."

He added Craven College had been awarded the highest accolade following a quality assessment by the Higher Education Funding Council for England following a visit in February.

"Our alternative to university study is a perfect solution for a lot of young people and this accolade just proves that their experience will be just as good, if not better than well-known universities. "

Students' success, was also the college's success, he said.

"We are happy to be able to offer a very vocational approach which helps our students in their chosen career. We are proud of the range of higher education programmes we are able to offer both here and at Leeds Bradford Airport and RHS Harlow Carr. We are proud of the standards of teaching at the college and are proud of the feedback we receive from our valued university partners, the Open University and York St John University, and our external examiners, and we are especially proud of our students and their achievements."

The student vote of thanks was given by Charlotte Brear, lead student representative for Craven College.

Special award winners:

Craven College HE award for land-based studies (for a student who has excelled in one of the land-based industries) - Fiona Busfield;

Community and public service award (nominations for any student who has shown exceptional dedication to their community) - Aiden Kelly; Creative industries award (for a student who has exhibited exceptional creative flair) - Sarah Boocock; Swissport award for employability skills (for an aviation student who is the most likely to succeed in industry) -

Sam McDonald Asare; Award for academic excellence (nominations for high achieving students) - Penny Farrier; The vice principal curriculum and quality prize (nominations for students studying in exceptional circumstances) - Charlotte Brear

Graduates:

Art and design:

Creative 3D design for jewellery and fashion FD - The Open University - Kirsten Sharples; Fine art BA (Hons) - The Open University - Michael Crompton, Sylvia Graham, Stacey Haigh. Make-up and prosthetics for performance FD - The Open University -Jessica Bass, Sarah Boocock, Molly Carroll, Rhianna Hughes, Rosie Richardson.

Aviation:

Aviation management and operations FD - The Open University - Nicholas Drury, Emmy-Leigh Elam, Christopher Headley, Alice Kent, Charlotte Kruger, Harvey Radcliffe, Nicola Sheppard, Luke Towler, Paul Ward, Huma Zahoor; Aviation management and operations - Pilot Studies FD - The Open University -Alexander Blundell, Sarah Fisher, Nathan Harvey, Thomas Majors, Felicity Marsden, Dean Martin, Andre McLeish, Khalid Nazar, William Parkins, Joshua Senior, Syed Shah, Alexandra Simmen, Macaulay Thompson, Joseph Wain; Air transport management BSc (Hons) - The Open University -

Sam Mcdonald Asare, Chereace Boyce, Emily Dawson, Hayden Edwards, Odysyn Fitzsimmons, Waseem Hussain, Abbie Robinson, Anja Simpson, Emma Thornton, Jack Wainman, Dylan Walters.

Business, management and accounting:

Accounting AAT level 4 - Lindsay Bray, Andrew Cairns, Christopher Endean, Emma Ferguson, Matthew Quigley, Victoria Smith McShee, Olivia Wood; Business management FD - The Open University - Charlotte Brear, Benjamin Howell, Gemma Roast, Lauren Pinkney, Karen Stirk, Jatinder Thaper; Business management in the service sector BA (Hons) - The Open University - Clare Harmon, Elzbieta Reczkowska; Event management FD - The Open University - Victoria Haden, Hayley Stockton-Finch, Abbey Templar-Phillips, Amba Wilkes;

Travel operations management FD – The Open University - Benjamin Beck, Olivia Polyhos.

Education and training:

Education and training level 5 diploma - Ascentis

Deborah Rhodes, Matthew Short, Charles Sutcliffe.

Land based:

Animal science and management FD - York St John University - Stephanie Coop, Nicola Fisher, Emily Holmes,Paige Lawson, Alexandra Lillie, Lorna Preston; Conservation and countryside management FD - York St John University - Fiona Busfield, Jasmine Dagless, Daniel Goddard, Simon Morphet, Nancy Stone; Garden design FD - The Open University - Jessica Hardiman, Josephine Manfredi-Hamer.

Public services:

Public services HNC - Max Franks, Aiden Kelly, Joel Lawrence, James Lee, Tia Templar.

Sport:

Sports coaching and physical education FD - York St John University - Sam Brearley, Adam Brookes, Jacob Monteith, Jack Ormesher, Jack Sewell.

Young children's learning and development:

Young children’s learning and development FD - The Open University - Amy Baxter, Ellen Begbie, Hayley Clayton, Holly Currie, Melissa Peyton, Jessica Roe, Jasmine Shaw, Katie Whitehead, Olivia-Grace Wilson, Michelle Yardley; Young children’s learning and development BA (Hons) - The Open University - Victoria Berry, Sharon Blenkarn, Hannah Clough, Penny Farrier, Grace Hill, Tanya Hunter, Kayle Kelly, Laura Lambshead-Milner, Madeleine Pickles, Amy Pickburn-Perkins.

Special awards - nominations:

Craven College HE award for land-based studies (for a student who has excelled in one of the land-based industries) - Fiona Busfield - conservation and countryside management FD; Josephine Manfredi-Hamer - garden design FD. Community and public service award (nominations for any student who has shown exceptional dedication to their community) -

Aiden Kelly - public services HNC .Creative industries award (for a student who has exhibited exceptional creative flair) -Sarah Boocock - make-up and prosthetics for performance FD. Swissport award for employability skills (for an aviation student who is the most likely to succeed in industry) - Sam McDonald Asare - air transport management BSc. Award for academic excellence (nominations for high achieving students) - Hayden Edwards - air transport management BSc; Amba Wilkes - event management FD; Karen Stirk - business management FD; Penny Farrier - young children’s learning and development BA (Hons); Sarah Boocock - make-up and prosthetics for performance FD; The vice principal curriculum and quality prize (nominations for students studying in exceptional circumstances) - Charlotte Brear - business management FD; Nancy Stone - conservation and countryside management FD; Mike Crompton - fine art BA (Hons).