By Graham Guest, Telford College principal and chief executive

We love hearing about former Telford College students who progress onto amazing careers after leaving us. For our dedicated teams of tutors, there’s nothing more rewarding.

So I’m delighted that two of our ex-students are going to be in the thick of the action at some of the year’s big sporting events.

Right now, former hair and beauty student Caitlin Steventon is working at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, helping to style the athletes.

She signed up for a hairdressing course with us after seeking a change of career direction, and describes it as the perfect stepping-stone for her ambitions to work in TV and theatre.

Meanwhile, our former media student Saqib Uddin will be covering the men’s football World Cup out in Qatar later this year, having landed a superb job as a producer with one of the nation’s broadcasters.

Now these may be very different sports, requiring very different skills, on different sides of the world, but they have one crucial thing in common; they prove that nothing is impossible for young people who pursue their further education right here in Telford.

School may be out for summer, but it’s still a hive of activity at Telford College as we freshen up the campus and upgrade equipment: once again this year, we are spending thousands of pounds.

There are always mixed emotions for us at this time of the year, though. Having said goodbye to the successful class of ’22, we are eagerly awaiting the arrival of a new intake who will begin a fresh series of adventures with us in September.

This is an anxious time for many school leavers, of course, as they await their A level and GCSE results. Some will surpass their expectations, while others may fall short of what they’d hoped to achieve.

The important thing to remember if you don’t quite get the grades you were hoping for is that there’s no need to panic – there’s never been a wider choice of options on your doorstep.

As the largest further education centre in Shropshire, we have a vast mix of academic, vocational and technical courses, as well as apprenticeships, developed in consultation with local employers.

So shop around, check out your options . . . and remember that we are here if you want to drop in, or call us for some words of advice.

• To find out about our latest range of courses, click here
• To read more stories of Telford College alumni, click here