Yale College student Emily Rose Jones has been accepted for the BSc (Hons) midwifery degree programme at Staffordshire University this September.

Emily, who is completing her second year BTEC National Diploma in health and social care at the college, said she is overwhelmed.

She has beaten fierce competition to gain the place.

Emily gained one of only 16 coveted places, for which 210 would-be students applied.

The BTEC National Diploma is a full-time course aiming to provide an educational foundation for a wide range of careers and increasingly serves as a route into higher education.

Jeff Harrison, Yale College's student support centre manager, said: "Emily has done very well to gain a midwifery place through this route.

"It is an indication of the increasing uptake of the BTEC National Diploma and other vocational courses as a path to university over more traditional courses like A levels."

Emily follows in the footsteps of former student Mehreen Rafique who is studying physiotherapy at university after completing the BTEC National Diploma in health studies at Yale College last year.