A "shining star" who helps to give people "opportunities they thought they would never have" has shared her delight after being awarded an MBE.

Sarah Van Der Merwe, 42, from Greenmount, received the honour in the King's Birthday Honours List for her contribution to further education and skills.

When Sarah left Woodhey High School, she went straight into work-based learning, achieving NVQs in personal training and fitness, and sales and management, before being asked to join training provider Lifetime Training as an assessor.

She has served as head of apprenticeships with HCRG Care Group’s learning and development department, The Learning Enterprise, since December 2019, after joining the company in March that year as a programme lead, launching the operations manager Level 5 apprenticeship programme.

Most recently, she led The Learning Enterprise through an Ofsted inspection that resulted in an "outstanding" rating, a full Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) inspection and successful re-application to the Register of Apprenticeship Training Providers, while studying for and gaining a senior leader level 7 MBA apprenticeship.

Sarah was recognised following a nomination from ESFA and HCRG's associate director of learning and development Gemma Hall.

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She said: “I’m absolutely delighted to have been given this honour.

"As someone who was supported to develop my own career through work-based learning, I have always been really passionate about giving others the best opportunities to grow their skills within the workplace.

"While I’m over the moon to have personally received this recognition, I really want to extend this to my team within HCRG Care Group whom without I could not have achieved all I have over the past few years.”

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HCRG Care Group’s associate director of learning and development, Gemma Hall, said: “Sarah is a shining star in The Learning Enterprise and to the wider skills sector and thoroughly deserves this honour.

"We are lucky to have people like Sarah working in this area, endeavouring every day to develop the talent of the future and give people opportunities that they thought they would never have.”

Managing director Pat Birchall added: “I could not be prouder of Sarah and what she has achieved.

"She is an asset to our organisation and someone who I have no doubt will continue to make a really positive difference to people of all ages striving to develop themselves in the workplace.”