Apprentices from Kingston Adult Education graduated to cheers and applause in a ceremony at the King Charles Centre in Surbiton.

The 84 learners collected their certificates, joined by family, friends and employers, last Thursday, June 22.

They also listened to a speech from Edward Weale, who employs apprentices with his Kingston-based graphic design agency Lemon Ribbon.

He spoke about the possibilities available to them through their apprenticeships.

Katie McLaughlin, named the Advanced Apprentice of the Year, said: “I really enjoyed the courses at KAE. Everyone I came in contact with was supportive; you can talk to them and they believe in you and what you can do.”

Cllr Andy Johnson-Creek, Cabinet Member with responsibility for Education at Kingston Council, said: “We’re dedicated to ensuring young people have as many opportunities to progress into a rewarding career as possible.

“In fact, the popularity of our apprenticeship scheme is climbing year on year, with a 46 per cent increase in uptake in the last year alone. To add to this, we have just received our second Ofsted ‘good’ report for the service as a whole, including our apprenticeship scheme.

“Well done to all 84 apprentices, as well as our fantastic team at Kingston Adult Education. Here’s to another successful year of apprenticeships in our Royal Borough.”