Last updated 19:42, Thursday, 17 July 2008

TWO of West Cumbria’s top engineering students have been recognised at an awards ceremony at Lakes College recently.

Henry Wright, 36, of The Beeches, Maryport and Matthew Burgin, 22 of Bolton Street, Workington were winners at the Lakes College Academic Achievement Awards.

Mr Wright, who won best higher mechanical student, has been a member of the Royal Navy since the age of 16 and chose an HNC qualification in process and operations to prepare him for life after retirement.

He said: “I haven’t been in school for 18 years so winning this award has made me feel quite proud of myself.

“I’ve never won anything before and I think it’s quite an achievement.

“It was a daunting thought at first but I wanted to take the course so I would have an engineering qualification when I retired.”

Mr Wright, an electrician in the Navy, studied while working and said it was the best decision he could have made to set himself up for the future.

“I enjoyed my course and I hope to continue on to study a HND or even a degree at some point,” he said.

Mr Burgin, who was recognised for his academic achievments, works for Corus where he has been a mechanical fitter for almost three years.

He won the best national certificate in mechanical at the ceremony.

He said: “At first, I thought it was just something small for the work I had done on my course.

“But it wasn’t until nearer the time I realised I had been given a top award from Lakes College.”

Mr Burgin, who is studying an HND in mechanical process engineering, said he would like to go on to study a degree or train further in engineering at some point in the future.