AN unemployed single mother from Chorley is scaling the dizzy heights of corporate success and puts it all down to the Open University.

Rose de Carteret's meteoric rise to business analyst for the third largest computer company in the world has been achieved after she launched herself on a distance learning course.

Rags-to-riches Rose, 40, of Bankside, Clayton-le-Woods, spent seven years getting her treasured BSc honours in technology.

But it hasn't always been easy.

Ten years ago she was living in the south of England when her partner walked out on her and her two children.

She was left penniless, and couldn't afford to pay the mortgage, let alone a baby-sitter.

"I had to give up my job as the only way I could keep the house going was to claim income support," she said.

"I really missed working so I did voluntary work, but that meant I wasn't earning."

Despite a cloud of despair casting a shadow over her future, Rose said while claiming benefits she found time to do a couple of short business administration courses, giving her a taste for learning.