A STUDENT from Barry has been recognised as one of the best business students in the country after winning the Sir Winfried Bischoff Regional Award for Wales, the West and Midlands.

Danielle Halford, 19, is currently studying level three extended diploma in business at Cardiff and Vale College.

Now she'll compete to be named the UK-wide winner of the award for Career Ready students.

Tracy Bird, CAVC’s Career Ready programme co-ordinator, said: “We are all so proud of Danielle – she’s done brilliantly and really deserves this award.

"The team here at Cardiff and Vale College are all rooting for her.”

Career Ready is a national charity that prepares learners for the world of work.

During the programme, Miss Halford impressed Santander senior staff with her presentation skills during an internship. She also gave the bilingual opening address at CAVC's Career Ready graduation ceremony last year.

Miss Halford said: “I was completely surprised to win this award, to be honest.

“It was so nice to get the opportunity – I never expected that my name would be put forward so it’s just amazing.

“I’m really excited to be going to London; it will be yet another opportunity to meet new people and have new experiences. I’m very excited and happy to be going.

“Career Ready has been completely life changing for me. I would never have expected to have the goals I have now compared to the ones I had before I started on the programme – they are so much more ambitious.

“I’ve applied to go to university to do a degree in Business Management and Law which is something that would never have crossed my mind before I started the Career Ready programme.

"It’s completely changed my career path and has been even better than I expected.”