A south London engineering student secured his dream job after asking for an internship, proving that college work placements can be a great use of time.

20-year-old Terrel Rose, from Crystal Palace, stayed behind after a college talk by railway engineer Alstom and introduced himself, proactively requesting a placement.

This resulted in a week's placement on the Northern Line, which went so well that Alstom asked him to stay on, leading to a full-time permanent position.

Rose said: "In February, I received a call from one of the managers informing me that a permanent position as a trainee technician had opened up and urging me to apply. I was over the moon because my hard work had paid off."

He continued: "I'm proud that I applied the knowledge gained from my studies at Merton and used every opportunity to learn new skills."

Rose obliged Alstom on its request for him to stay on after his original week's placement, even though it was summer, surprising some at Alstom.

Rose believes this choice showed commitment, which was valued in an industry where the average age is relatively high, making Alstom keen to invest in someone younger who showed potential and could be developed over time.

Ultimately, Terrel insists it was his persistence and genuine passion that landed him his role at Alstom.

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Rose attended Merton College, part of the South Thames College Group, which also has colleges in Kingston, Carshalton and South Thames.

Angela Woolnough, Head of Employability at Thames College Group, said: "Terrell is a shining example of how work experience can lead to paid employment.

We're very proud of Terrell, and we wish him success and happiness in his chosen career."

Merton College has been successfully working in partnership with Alstom for more than five years, and they have been a great help to our engineering students by supporting us with insight talks, site visits, work experience and work preparation workshops."

We're very grateful for all they do for the next generation of engineers on the first steps of their career journey."

During his studies for the Extended National Diploma in Engineering, Rose first completed a week's placement at an offshore renewable energy company in Surrey called Subsea7.

South Thames College Group offers full-time courses, apprenticeships, undergraduate and adult education programmes for young people and adult students across a broad range of subjects.