The City & Guilds Licentiateship (LCGI) recognises the continuing development and commitment to learning of hundreds of professionals every year. Felicity Luther talks to four proud holders of this Senior Award to see where the future is taking them.

Cloud Tembo - LCGI Engineering

Cloud Tembo began his career in railway signalling and telecommunications in 1984, as an apprentice with the national rail in Zimbabwe.

His initial training took four years, and combined college work with hands-on experience. 'The course was quite demanding,' admits Tembo, 'but it was really satisfying applying what I had learnt in the classroom to real life situations in the field.'

In 2003 Tembo got a new job with Carillion Rail and was relocated to England, an experience he is extremely positive about: 'I have learnt so much in my time in the UK.'

'There is a lot to take in as the technology is so much more advanced over here, but it has been really good to get myself up to date.' Tembo has now been working as a technical support assistant at Network Rail for four years, and finds his job very rewarding: 'It is really exciting.'

'Every day when I arrive at work I have no idea what the day will bring. Each day is different.' Having completed a number of courses in signalling and other related areas, Tembo decided to apply for the City & Guilds Licentiateship in Engineering.

As his previous qualification from Zimbabwe was not recognised at NVQ standard in the UK, he wanted a way to demonstrate to British employers the true extent of his training and experience.

When the news came that he had been granted the Senior Award, it was a great achievement for Tembo. 'My Licentiateship makes me really proud. No one in my family has a degree, so to be the first is a great feeling. I can't wait for my children to see me in my cap and gown at the graduation ceremony. I really hope that it will inspire them to do well in life.'

Tembo's 14 year old son, Witness, has shown a keen interest in electronics and engineering, and it is Tembo's hope that he will one day follow in his footsteps.

Rachael Fajoye - LCGI Hospitality and Catering

Rachael Fajoye started her training with City & Guilds more than two decades ago. Starting with Levels 1 and 2 in Cooking for the Catering Industry, she has since completed courses in everything from Food Hygiene to Sandwich Making, and is a member of numerous institutions and professional bodies, including the Institute of Leadership & Management.

When asked about the motivation behind her continuing education, Fajoye's answer is simple: 'I just love cooking!' As the Catering Manager for the Cardinalpole RC Secondary School in Hackney, Fajoye is responsible for a department that feeds more than 1800 hungry children every day.

'I get huge satisfaction from what I do, and every time I do another course I learn something new that I can use to make myself even better at my job,' she says.

When in September last year Fajoye received a letter saying she was eligible to receive the City & Guilds Licentiateship, the news came as quite a shock.

'I just sat on the floor and cried. It is such a wonderful feeling to be recognised in this way, not to mention the amazing opportunities that this award has opened up to me.' It didn't take long for the first of these opportunities to present itself: as soon as Fajoye's boss heard about her certificate he immediately promoted her to Head of Catering for both the middle school and upper school.

As far as Fajoye is concerned, this award is just the beginning, and with plans to open her own restaurant in the not too distant future, she is already on the lookout for a new course, and new skills to learn.

'There are so many courses available, and so many opportunities to exercise your brain and develop yourself. I'm a strong believer that If you put your mind to it you can achieve anything so I just go for it.'

Stephen Woodward - LCGI Traffic Accident Investigation

From a young age, Stephen Woodward always knew that he wanted to be a policeman. He left school at 16 to join the cadets, and by 18 he was a fully-fledged member of the force.

Woodward's career with the West Midlands police department has sometimes been challenging, particularly during the industrial strikes of the late seventies and eighties.

'The miner's strike lasted more than 18 months and there was a lot of public disorder and riots; the feelings of the local communities made it very hard to police.' However, it wasn't enough to put Woodward off, and he continued to work as a local bobby, until in 1988 he became a specialist Traffic Patrol Officer and later progressed into the field of Collision Investigation.

Since then, Woodward's training and professional development has been continuous, progressing through the levels to achieve the City & Guilds Full Award in Collision Investigation, and most recently being awarded a Licentiateship in recognition of his high standards of training, education, and field experience.

'I left school with just two 'O' levels as that was the minimum educational standard in order to sit the police entrance exams and medicals, so to have graduated with an award like this in my late forties makes me very proud.' Woodward attests much of his success to the support of his wife and daughter.

'My wife is a qualified accountant, and seeing the amount of work she has put into her studies over the years has been a real inspiration.' His Senior Award is about more than just career progression - it has given him the means to be able to help and support the relatives of accident victims.

It is his job to piece the evidence together to find out what really happened, therefore offering them some form of closure. 'I find it extremely rewarding to be able to help people in this way.'

Rajpal Masih - LCGI Hospitality

Originally from India, Rajpal Masih has always recognised the importance of education. When he decided to follow a career as a chef rather than following the more conventional path of becoming a doctor or engineer, Masih had to prove himself as a serious culinary professional.

With the support of his family, Masih began his career with a City & Guilds qualification in Food Preparation and Cooking. From there he has developed a resume that has seen him travel the globe, training at some of the world's finest hotels, as well as being officially certified as a 'Master Chef' of Asian cuisine.

'I just get such a buzz from my line of work. Every day brings a new challenge,' he says. For the past five years, Masih has been honing his skills as the head chef at the Dragon School in Oxford.

It was here that his catering manager suggested he applied to City & Guilds for a Licentiateship in Catering and Hospitality: 'My manager recommended City & Guilds to me because his former workers had all had great success after gaining their qualifications there.

'And you know what, he was right!' For Masih, there is a lot more to being a chef than simply preparing food. His is a multi disciplined line of work, with good business skills, talent management and a knowledge of food safety and hygiene all a necessary part of the package.

'Cooking is a real challenge. It requires a broad spectrum of knowledge and a huge amount of experimentation, but variety is the spice of life,' he says. Masih is constantly searching for new ways to develop his skills and with the City & Guilds Licentiateship now under his belt, a BSc in Food Science is next on the agenda. 'City & Guilds has really opened my eyes to opportunities I had never thought possible. The Senior Award I have gained is already helping me in the kitchen, and in life.'