April’s caught the learning bug

Returning to study has paid dividends for April Cousin, as she has graduated from the University of Teesside with a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Business and Human Resource Management, and clinched the Northern Utility Services Ltd Prize of £50, awarded for significant progress on the course. She has now moved onto the second year of a BA (Hons) degree in Human Resource Management at the University.

April, 30, of Station Road, Eaglescliffe, is originally from Newcastle. She worked as a revenue control inspector for Tyne and Wear Metro until the age of 24, when she started her family, Caitlin, six, and Dominic, two. April then enrolled for the HND, which was taught at one of the University’s partnership colleges, Middlesbrough College.

April said: “I’d always been interested in business but at the start of the HND I thought ,‘there’s no way I can do this.’ My confidence increased and by the second year I’d achieved eighteen distinctions, I was determined to do well.

“I was particularly pleased to progress in the use of computers. Two years ago I’d never switched one on and now I’m doing presentations using the powerpoint package. My mum Emily, who lives in Fenham, thinks it’s brilliant that I’m going for a degree.”

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