MUM Michele Marlow is in the running for a national award after beating the odds to forge a new life for herself.

She recently won the South West’s Outstanding Learner at the learndirect Achievement Awards.

Now she is in the national finals and wants people to vote for her and claim the national People’s Choice Award.

Single mum Michele, 43, battled against lupus and underwent chemotherapy while taking the learndirect courses through Weymouth College.

Michele said: “Learning has given me the confidence to go into an interview and think ‘yes, I can do this’.

“I wouldn’t be in the position to start looking for work if it wasn’t for learndirect.”

She added: “I’ve now joined a recruitment agency, and along with the Jobcentre am looking for a part-time job so I can work around my illness.

“That’s my top priority and now I’ve got my qualifications, my career prospects are looking good.”

Michele took her learn direct courses through Weymouth College and gained word processing, spreadsheets and CLAIT qualifications as well as a level two maths qualification.

She was nominated for the award by Laura Williams, centre manager and facilitator at Weymouth College.

The People’s Choice Award recognises the student who has the most inspirational story to tell about how they have overcome difficulties, disability or adverse circumstances to achieve through learning.

Michele, who is mum to Sam, 19, and Katy, 18, suffers from lupus, an auto-immune disease which affects organs in the body.

Michele undertook a course of chemotherapy treatment and completed her qualifications despite feeling ill.

She decided to get back into work as her children grew older, despite her illness.

She said: “I knew I wanted to do an admin role again, but I soon realised that I now needed IT skills to get this kind of job and I hadn’t even been on a computer before.”

Learndirect gives people the chance to study for courses at home via the internet or through a centre such as Weymouth College.

It gives more flexibility to study than conventional timetabled courses.

Michele said: “I really enjoyed doing my learning.

“The centre was a very sociable place and meeting lots of other people helped me to build my confidence too.”

The People’s Choice Award winner will be announced at the national learndirect Achievement Awards ceremony in October, which will take place in London.

Vote for Michele at www.learndirect.co.uk/awards.