A COLLEGE student has secured a graduate role despite not having a degree.

And Lewis Garforth has urged other teenagers to improve their range of skills to succeed in a tough job market.

Projects throughout Lewis’s graphic design foundation course at Blackburn College enabled him to hone his creative skills to produce a diverse portfolio which ultimately secured him the job.

Lewis, 18, from Read, said his range of work gave him the edge over the other 12 candidates who were educated to degree level or were experienced professionals.

As part of the course, Lewis was asked to produce work as though working for a company and learnt about the importance of design as well as the messages, words and concepts that would get the best results.

Anthony Whittaker, who was on the interview panel at Pendle Leisure Trust, said that, despite Lewis’s lack of work-based experience and university level qualification, his portfolio was both diverse and the ‘best’ they had seen.

Since the recession hit the UK economy, thousands of young people have been left unable to secure work and graduates have found it difficult to find graduate-level jobs.

Many have taken voluntary positions or opting to take up further study.

Lewis, who only applied for the job to gain interview experience, said: “I saw this position advertised, they were looking for a graduate or someone with two years experience.

“But I thought I’d give it a go anyway.

“I knew I wasn’t going to go to university and this was the kind of job I imagined myself doing so wanted to practise my applications and interviews skills.

“It was my first ever interview and thought that the experience alone would be enough.

“But I start in two weeks time and I can’t wait to start on a project.”

Lewis will be promoting the leisure facilities available in the area.

Interview panel member Anthony Whittaker said: “Lewis’s portfolio was the best we had seen over the two-day interview process.

“His broad spectrum of work was perfect for variety of the different and varied work that we do here.

Kate Roberts, lecturer in Graphic Design at Blackburn College, said: “Lewis always gives 110 per cent.