A sixth-form student has been jumping for joy after his apprenticeship place at Darlington's Economic Campus (DEC) was confirmed when he received his A-Level results this morning (August 17).

Cameron Coates, from Darlington's Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College, has been on top of the world after he has been accepted to study an apprenticeship with the Government Economic Service.

After receiving ABB grades in psychology, P.E. and economics, Cameron is the first student from the sixth form who will learn at the campus.

Read more: A-Level Results 2023: Students across the North East get results

The Northern Echo: Darlington student Cameron Coates.Darlington student Cameron Coates. (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

He will work with the Department of Education on the job for the next four years from September 4, looking into financing for schools and universities up and down the country.

Cameron told the Echo he was calm and confident when the moment came to open the dreaded envelope.

He said: "I only had a 96 UCAS grade boundary to be able to get in, so I was pretty confident and not very nervous that I would make it.

"I chose the path as my economics teacher posted the course on our Google classroom.

"My dad works in economics and finance so I was keen to go into that anyway, but then when I saw that post I knew that was what I wanted to do."

Cameron could be based in either Leeds, Newcastle or Darlington for the programme, which could earn him a full-time job in the civil service at the end.

During that time, he will work with the treasury department and learn about the economics of the education sector.

He said: "I'll be looking at how universities and schools are financed and how this can benefit children in the long run with their development.

"It's all about finance for those children, and how that finance helps them in their learning whilst at school."


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Cameron was one of thousands of students who received their highly anticipated A-Level results this morning across the country.

Hundreds of thousands of students across the country received their A-level results today in a year when ministers and the exams regulator in England aimed to return to pre-pandemic grading.

More than a quarter (27.2%) of UK entries were awarded an A or A* grade, down by 9.2 percentage points on last year when 36.4% achieved the top grades.