THIS time last year Kelly Stokes was celebrating A-Levels joy with her friends - and one year on she has toasted success with her Ulverston colleagues when they were crowned the UK Apprentice Team of the Year.

Students collect their all-important A-Level results tomorrow and secure university and higher apprenticeship places.

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Last August the Walney teenager was nervously waiting for her results, but there was cause to celebrate at Barrow Sixth Form College.

Kelly and her friend Sophie Newsham congratulated each other on achieving an identical set of great A-Level results - A grades in law, Bs in history and Cs in maths.

While Sophie, of Ireleth, headed to Manchester Metropolitan University to study history, Kelly joined GSK Ulverston as a supply chain higher apprentice.

On results day Kelly said: "I'm so happy with my results. We cried during our maths exam, but it turned out OK.

"I'm looking forward to joining GSK to train and get experience. I had a great time at sixth form."

The now 19-year-old has almost completing her first year with GSK Ulverston, and what a year it has been.

In June Kelly was a member of the GSK Ulverston team which won the Brathay Apprenticeship Challenge national final and become the UK Apprentice Team of the Year.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Massive congratulations national champions <a href="https://twitter.com/GSKUlverston">@GSKUlverston</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/apprentices?src=hash">#apprentices</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BAC17?src=hash">#BAC17</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Brathay">@Brathay</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cumbria?src=hash">#Cumbria</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/STEM?src=hash">#STEM</a> <a href="https://t.co/3J6bPrS5Hy">pic.twitter.com/3J6bPrS5Hy</a></p>— Natalie Chapples (@nchapplesNWEM) <a href="https://twitter.com/nchapplesNWEM/status/875010412093296641">June 14, 2017</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

"My apprenticeship is going really well. I didn't expect to be doing all the things I'm doing. Once you have the capability you are given responsibility, which is really good. It's a great company to work for.

"I have gained so much confidence and experience through my apprenticeship this year. For me it was definitely the right decision."

Kelly is completing a foundation degree in international trade and supply chain which is paid for by the company.

She said: "It made me think an apprenticeship was the best of both worlds."

On winning the Brathay Challenge, Kelly said: "We really didn't expect to win, a GSK team had not reached the final before.

"It has helped to raise our profile as apprentices."

Kelly said the highlight of the challenge was the team producing their acclaimed asthma awareness campaign video in memory of the late Ulverston boy Josh West. The video has been viewed thousands of times and the apprentices will continue their work promoting the life-saving messages among young people and the wider community.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Fantastic gesture, <a href="https://twitter.com/GSKUlverston">@GSKUlverston</a> apprentices dedicate national award to the late Josh West <a href="https://twitter.com/Brathay">@Brathay</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Apprenticeships">@Apprenticeships</a> <a href="https://t.co/orklfBafgz">https://t.co/orklfBafgz</a> <a href="https://t.co/0I85jAtFeH">pic.twitter.com/0I85jAtFeH</a></p>— Natalie Chapples (@nchapplesNWEM) <a href="https://twitter.com/nchapplesNWEM/status/875373973764177920">June 15, 2017</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>