WHEN Mark Kerr decided to return to education he never dreamed that within a year he would have set up his own business and won industry and college awards.

The 30-year-old, from Croy, near Cumbernauld, was working as a food manager with Marks & Spencer last year when he decided on a career change. He started on Cumbernauld College's HNC Events course in August 2011 and has not looked back since.

He said: "Through work I had been involved in organising events and really enjoyed that part of my job.

"I loved it so much I eventually decided it was now or never, and signed up to the HNC Events course at Cumbernauld College.

"Changing career and going to college was a huge decision to make, but it has been the best move I have ever made.

"I thoroughly enjoyed studying at Cumbernauld College and found it a great environment to learn in."

During his studies Mark, along with fellow students Margaret McEwan and Jonathan Scullion, formed the events group JusTechnique, organising Glee style choir contests for local primary schools.

The team's work was so successful that this year they won an Event Scotland Award for Best Student Event.

The group has now gone on to set up an events company in the same name, with Mark and his classmates extending their Glee choir event format out to schools throughout Scotland.

During the college's annual awards ceremony, Mark was also named Learner of the Year, after being nominated by the teaching team, headed by curriculum manager Bill Breckenridge.

Events lecturer Beatrice Soutar said: "Mark demonstrated a high level of dedication and commitment to his studies."

Mark added: "It has been a fantastic year. Making a career change is never an easy choice, but for those thinking about it, I would say, grab the opportunity and go for it."

WHEN Mark Kerr decided to return to education he never dreamed that within a year he would have set up his own business and won industry and college awards.

The 30-year-old, from Croy, near Cumbernauld, was working as a food manager with Marks & Spencer last year when he decided on a career change. He started on Cumbernauld College's HNC Events course in August 2011 and has not looked back since.

He said: "Through work I had been involved in organising events and really enjoyed that part of my job.

"I loved it so much I eventually decided it was now or never, and signed up to the HNC Events course at Cumbernauld College.

"Changing career and going to college was a huge decision to make, but it has been the best move I have ever made.

"I thoroughly enjoyed studying at Cumbernauld College and found it a great environment to learn in."

During his studies Mark, along with fellow students Margaret McEwan and Jonathan Scullion formed the events group JusTechnique, organising Glee style choir contests for local primary schools.

The team's work was so successful that this year they won an Event Scotland Award for Best Student Event.

The group has now gone on to set up an events company in the same name, with Mark and his classmates extending their Glee choir event format out to schools throughout Scotland.

During the college's annual award ceremony, Mark was also named Learner Of The Year, after being nominated by the teaching team, headed by curriculum manager Bill Breckenridge.

Events lecturer Beatrice Soutar said: "Mark demonstrated a high level of dedication and commitment to his studies."

Mark added: "It has been a fantastic year. Making a career change is never an easy choice, but for those thinking about it, I would say grab the opportunity and go for it."

The full list of Cumbernauld College graduations

HNC ACCOUNTING

Sharon Anderson, Jared Armour, Miriam Armour, Lynn Bremner, Agnieszka Brodalka, Valerie Brown, Tracey Burton, Georgia Cassidy, Stephanie Curtis, Maria Deas, Roman Dymek, Katrina Hannan, Ryan Harris, Katryna Longmuir, Kirstie Loudon, William Douglas McAdam, Pauline Marie McCarrall, Rebecca Bunty McFarlane, Andrew Shaw, Kathleen Anne Shindler, Alana Simpson, Nicola Swift, Rahel Tadesse.

HNC BEAUTY THERAPY

Monica Greer, Gemma Adams, Louise Allan, Alison Baird, Jackie Brady, Janice Elizabeth Crook, Rhianne Alice Catherine Darlington, Jennifer Reid, Karen Stevenson, Sharelle Jayne Stewart, Samantha Tate.

HNC ADMINSTRATION & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Heather Ballingall, Karen Bryce, Jackie Campbell, Patricia French, Christine Harvey, Nicola Hood, Margo Kant, Fiona Kelly, Ross MacLean, Tracey McArthur, Ryan McClure, Wendy McGill, Nick McWilliams, Jan Smith.

DIPLOMA IN MANAGEMENT

Gillian Fitzsimmons, Lyndsay Quinn, Janice Walker.

HNC TOURISM

Amanda Borst, Jennifer Ann Brown, Ashleigh Peta Comrie, Kayleigh-Anne Cosgrove, Ashleigh Creek, Christina Gall, Nichola Kathryn Johnstone, Jamie Kerr, Joanne Martine Murphy, Leanne Rush, Henry Alfonso Valencia, Nicole Vance, Izabela Zajac.

HNC EVENTS

Kirsty Teresa Davies, Sophie Louise Hazell, Mark J Kerr, Margaret McEwan, Jennifer Murray, Lynn O'Malley, Carol Quin, Ian Ralston, Jonathan Scullion, Rhona Walker.

HNC SPORTS COACHING WITH DEVELOPMENT OF SPORT

Stephen Bell, Steven Brady, Ross Calder, Steven Carter, Kieran Farrell, Dariusz Hallford, Scott Murphy, Richard Lawrence Dornan, Gary William Flint, Scott Henderson, Kristopher Lewis, Ross Thomas MacKay, Patrick McCabe, Ryan McCrae, Barry McLaughlin, Andrew McNamee, Leigh Queen, Scott Shankie, Colm Stewart.

HNC COMPUTING

Alan Abernethy, Laura Anderson, Ewing Bain, Colin Campbell, Raymond Innes, Daniel Kashani.

HND COMPUTING TECHNICAL SUPPORT

Liam Cassidy, John Duncan, Danielle McAdam, Kerry-Ann Marie McArthur, Alan Ross McDove, Steven McMurray, David Andrew McSharry, Aaron Scott Rankin, Lee Thomas Scolin, Nicholas Martin Smith, Lauren Stevenson, Rhys Andrew Alexander Thom, James Patrick Turnbull, Gordon Walker.

HNC CREATIVE INDUSTRIES: TELEVISION

Danielle Catherine Campbell, Colin Hendry, Scott McMillan, Neil Mullarkey, Larry Daniel Smith-Redman.

HNC SOUND PRODUCTION

Michael Connelly, Duncan MacLean, Charles Alexander Mooney, William David Usher, Philip Allen, Scott Allan Baxter, James Martin Brady, Joseph Peter Cahill, Mairi Campbell, Stuart Coleman, Conor Ian Thomas Dixon, Laura Dougan, Liam Ferns, Christopher Ferrie, Martin Girvan, Jordan Scott Howat, Susan Kerr, Martin James Knox, Peter Alexander MacDonald, David Campbell MacWilliam, Gavin Marshall, Grant David McCann, Craig McClounie, Kian McEvoy, Ryan McKinnon, Corey Drew Milne, Paul O'Meara, Stephen Pettigrew, Massimo Pieri, Dave Robertson, Paul Starmore, David Alexander Steenson, William Harry John Tomlinson, Joy Ward, Scott Williamson.

HNC EARLY EDUCATION AND CHILDCARE

Jennifer Carnegie, Stephanie Casey, Cheryl Elizabeth Cattell, Kim Margaret Davidson, Margaret Doyle, Jennifer Fagan, Natalie Hawker, Lindsay Marcella Heron, Carole Horn, Melissa Mathieson, Kelsey Morgan McCarroll, Kimberley Rose McCash, Colleen O'Brien, Laura Jane Reid, Debi Scullion, Mark Henry Smith, Elspeth Anne Wallace.

SVQ PLAYWORD LEVEL 4

Debbie Jamieson, Elizabeth Maxwell, Susan McMillan, Tracy Pollock.

HNC HEALTH CARE

Sarah Brindley, Pamela Jane Cairns, Donna Marie Galbraith, Michaela Glackin, Jane Marie McGonigle, Lynne McNaughton, Lyndsay Nicol, Aimee Lauren Smeall, Nicole Speirs, Deborah Young.

HNC SOCIAL CARE

Jayne Ballantyne, Kimberley Bell, Julie Boertien, Scott Bonar, Joy Gaileen Buller, Catherine Carr, Annemarie Carrel, Charlene Copeland, Sheila Crawford, Billie-Jayne Crosgray, Amanda Dodds, Carol Dye, Jackie Findlay, Scott Findlay, Pamela Fitzpatrick, Dawn Elizabeth Graham, Sammyjo Graham, Amanda Isabella Gray, Anne Grieve, Tracy Heron, Annemarie Hipson, Tracy Hooper, Michelle Kennedy, Audrey Johnstone, Fiona MacQueen, Karen McCabe, Myra Lynn McFarlane, Jacqueline McFie, Paul James McGuckin, Christopher McKendrick, Yvonne McLaughlan, Stephen William Gerald McMillan, Laura Milligan, Mary Theresa Milligan, Michelle Morrison, Lorraine Elizabeth Murray McMahon, Christine Nicholls, Kay Nimmo, Mallory Paice, Maureen Preston, Jennifer Aird Sherlock, Ashleigh Shiels, Lynn Shiels, Jacqueline Slaven, Lee Smith, Diane Stone, Amanda Thoms, Caroline Travers, Lauren Alison Forsyth Vickers, Fiona White, Irene Williamson, Cheryle Wise, Amanda Young.

HNC SOCIAL SCIENCES

Chloe Anderson, Adam Andrews, Paul Black, Scott Campbell, Paige Clark, Megan Coughlan, Robert Davies, Shannon Donnelly, John Flannagan, Sarah Flett, Lynn Hadden, Lauren Huggins, Grant Imrie, Steven Lake, Donna Marie McKeown, Janine Rankin, David Rutherford, Fraser Tierney, Megan Walsh, Matthew David Warner, Craig Wordie, Cheryl Young.

BA COMMERCIAL SOUND PRODUCTION

Ashleigh Black, Michael Callaghan, Christopher Duddy, Christopher Hattie, Christopher Hunter, Carly Jenkins, Nyasha Kanyimo, Alan James Kemlo, Conor McAleese.

BSc COMPUTER NETWORKING

Calum Henderson, Thomas Inglis, Lisa Johnstone, Peter Marshall, Jason Miller, Craig Morrison, Sandra Rooney, Simon John Scott.