A teenager who suffered a serious brain injury after a metal spike went through her head has made a miraculous recovery.

Jodanna Howson, 17, of Cummersdale, was riding her bike when she turned a corner at the bottom of a hill in her village, hit a gate post and fell down an 8ft drop.

A spiky piece of metal sticking out from a gate then went through the side of her head, fracturing her skull and causing bleeding on her brain.

Jodanna was in hospital for a week and a half, before the start of a long recovery, following the accident three years ago.

Last year she decided she wanted to do something and began a Skills for Independence and Work course at Carlisle College. She has excelled, growing in confidence, grabbing opportunities and encouraging others to do the same.

Her tutor Melanie King said: “I’ve just seen her confidence rise and rise and rise all year.”

At the Carlisle College Awards on Thursday, Jodanna won the Outstanding Learner Contribution Award and the overall Carlisle College Learner of the Year Award.

Although she knew about the first award, the second one was a complete surprise. An independent panel chose her from a group of 13 learners who won awards in a variety of fields from plumbing to beauty therapy.

Jodanna said: “I didn’t think I would get the second one because they listed out all those names. It feels really good to have people recognise all the work I have done.”

She received her Learner of the Year Award for making a difference by exceeding expectations from Colin Glover, leader of Carlisle City Council. After the ceremony she posed with her two awards as proud family and friends took pictures.

Melanie said: “At the start of the year, she wouldn’t have gone up and got her photograph taken.

“She’s taken part in every event and all the extra curricular activities and encouraged other people to take part. She’s just been a real encouragement to all the students and a real credit to herself.

“Obviously I put her forward for the Outstanding Learner Contribution Award. I was extremely excited to find out [about the other award]. I was extremely proud of her achievements.”

Jodanna was one of many learners and apprentices at Carlisle College whose hard work and dedication were recognised at this year’s awards.

Apprenticeships have been on the rise at the college for a few years and last year saw the greatest increase: the college recruited 293 apprentices from August 2015 until now.

Colin Luhrs, the assistant director of the business development unit at Carlisle College, said: “We have had our best ever year for apprenticeships. Our success rate is in the high 80s.”

Mr Luhrs praised the benefits of apprenticeships because they create a local, skilled workforce and students can earn as they learn, not saddling themselves with thousands of pounds in student debt.

He said local businesses of all sizes were at the heart of apprentices and thanked them for their involvement and ongoing support.

Carlisle College offers a range of apprenticeships including in accountancy, painting and woodwork, equine and dental nursing.