The trip, which was part of the London Beijing FE College Project, included visits to Chinese vocational colleges as well as work with the Electrical Engineering School. It also included a visit to an air-conditioning company, Daikin and a visit to a private language school for trainee teachers.

The partnership has three key curriculum areas – refrigeration and air conditioning, English for speakers of other languages (ESOL), and teacher education. A website is also being established to help the two colleges work more closely together.

The staff on the trip were CNWL project leader and head of teaching and learning Louise Taylor, gas lecturer and head of construction Martin Biron, Skills for Life head of faculty Cath King, as well as two refrigeration and air-conditioning staff – curriculum manager Athula Adasuriya and lecturer Saiyed Hanif.

The five students, who won places on the trip through competitions at the College, were Mihaela Serban, Grainne Ryan, Emilia Thomas, Lucy West and Thomas Clark.

Lucy signed on as an apprentice civil engineer with London Underground when she was 16, found it good experience and gained an HNC at South Bank University. She became a track technician working on railway lines in the dark but after a while she wanted a different challenge.

She switched to refrigeration and air-conditioning and is now taking a City & Guilds Level 2 certificate at Willesden, which she thoroughly enjoys despite the long journey from home. When she heard about the competition, she was determined to win.

She said: “I can’t wait to go to Beijing, to see what their colleges are like and their way of life. Everyone is jealous of me!

“I didn’t like technology subjects at school but then I saw an ad and I realised I could study and get paid at the same time. My parents wanted me to stay in education and I’m glad I did now. I fell in love with the job. Now I want to do a CORGI gas course and be multi-skilled.”

Grainne, who is taking a Diploma in Education at the University of Westminster, has taught ESOL students for 10years. She said: “I feel like I’ve won the lottery! It has always been my dream to go to China because it is one of the major powers with a huge language market. Also I wanted to see the Great Wall. I had thought of going to live and work there.”