Yesterday Julie and Sarah attended an event at the House of Commons to celebrate the launch of VQ day - a national day which will focus attention on the value of Vocational Qualifications. The event was held in the Terrace Marquee which is behind the main chambers of the Houses of Parliament. The Edge had organised the launch, and winners of the Edge Awards were all invited along to celebrate their role in support for vocational learning, and to network with politicians, training providers and other winners and employers. COSMIC was able to talk about its award as South West regional winners in the employers category and our work with young people and social enterprise.

Presentations at the event included speeches from Bill Rammell, Minister for Further Education, and also Sara Pullen who as well as achieving her career progression through VQs has also been awarded as Young Engineer of the Year. There were also presentations from the Chairman of the Edge, other young people and employers.

The date for VQ Day is 23rd July and we will look forward to playing our role in encouraging young people, parents, employers and training deliverers to consider VQs as a great way for young people to develop their careers. To find out more about the launch and VQ day go to www.vqday.org.