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WEST and north Wiltshire candidates lit up the South West Skills Awards 2008 with two winners and two highly commended finalists.
Described as the Learning Oscars and presented by TV's Ben Fogle, the prestigious ceremony celebrated the exceptional achievements of individuals and organisations throughout the region.
Denise Going from Chippenham won the Learner of the Year category for her commitment to learning through her Skills for Life course.
Leaving school in Canada without qualifications, she was determined to gain new skills after she had raised her family in England.
Forty-four-year-old Denise, of Unity Street, stopped going to school when she was 11.
She said that gaining the confidence to go to college in the first place was the hardest part of her studies.
"It's a confidence thing more than the ability to learn," she said. "Just getting there was the difficult bit.
"I wouldn't go to classes and I'd be at home thinking I couldn't do it, but then I'd get a card saying we missed you'."
Mark Wilkinson Furniture Ltd from Bromham won Medium Employer of the Year for their dedication to developing apprentices.
Other highly commended finalists from Wiltshire were Kim Slade from Corsham and Warminster-based Defence Support Group.