AN Accrington apprentice has scooped a top award.

Gemma Topping was named apprentice of the year at Lancashire County Council’s first countywide annual Learners Awards last week.

The award celebrates the success of learners who have enrolled on an apprenticeship programme with Lancashire Adult Learning and achieved National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ) within the workplace.

Gemma enrolled on the apprenticeship programme to gain qualifications to improve her employment prospects.

Earlier this year she completed the NVQ in business administration, achieved key skills in the application of number and communication at level two and received a distinction in the first part of her NVQ technical certificate.

As a result of her studies Gemma has secured a position as a programme administrator in south and east area for Lancashire Adult Learning Service.

She said: “This award means so much to me. I’ve had to work really hard to gain these qualifications, especially as I’ve had to move between different bases during my apprenticeship, so I am really proud of what I have achieved.”

The winners were presented with their certificates by Ged Fitzgerald, chief executive of LCC at County Hall last week.