The region’s finest young engineering talent has been honoured at the Engineering College’s 2016 Annual Apprentice awards
More than 70 people gathered for the event led by Birkenhead’s newly rebranded Engineering College, formerly known as the Laird Foundation and more recently the Maritime & Engineering College North West. Special guest and Tranmere Rovers Executive Chairman Mark Palios presented awards at the ceremony on Thursday, November 03, at the college’s Monks Ferry base. It celebrated the achievements of apprentices across eleven different award categories.
The marquee ‘Apprentice of the Year’ award was handed to Adam Hurst, of Peel Ports, who also secured the Engineering College Development Stage Award. New awards for 2016 included the ‘Dave Bird’ Award for ‘Welder of the Year’, secured by Dominic Davies of Cammell Laird, and the ‘Attenborough Society’ Award, won by John Archer, of Balfour Beatty.
The event comes shortly after Engineering College CEO Terry Weston unveiled a £500,000 refurbishment and rebrand as part of an ambitious plan to double the size of the training base over five years, plugging the ‘massive engineering skills shortage’ in the region.
“The Annual Apprentice awards mark a special moment in the year when we reflect on some of the finest achievements of our students and training force,” said Mr Weston. Our congratulations go out to all the winners and runners up.
“The key theme for 2016 was ‘citizenship and community’ which was inspired by the recent visit of Sir David Attenborough to Cammell Laird shipyard on our doorstep. Sir David has made a consistent ‘call to arms’ imploring us to work together to solve the major challenges facing humanity. This message should resonate with all of our young engineers. Companies are calling out for engineers with skills but also the right attitude and behaviour. Engineering is all around us, satisfying everything from our basic needs to our more complex dreams and ambitions. Today’s leading engineers and technicians make this possible through team work and technical endeavour to sustain and improve lives. They possess an incredible range of creative talent that is underpinned by their enquiring minds and balanced by their intellect and judgement. This is precisely the outlook we aim to instil in our apprentices from day one. They are joining the worldwide community of engineers where common interests and universal language unites us all. They have the opportunity to play a role addressing global issues concerning areas like the environment and living space linked to population rise.”
Apprentice of Year winner Adam Hurst said: “I feel very honoured to win this award and want to thank all the staff in the engineering college who voted for me and put time into developing my skills and other apprentices. In particular, I would like to thank Peter Hagan who mentored me from 16-years-old and shaped me into the engineer I am today. I am now working for Arriva UK bus in a support engineering role travelling across the country repairing buses. The award means a lot to me and gives me great satisfaction showing that all the studying, time and effort put into personal development has paid off. Hopefully I can keep furthering my skills and with this achievement behind me have a long-established career in engineering.”
Since setting up almost two decades ago in 1998, the Engineering College has driven turnover to £1.7million employing 38 staff. It has grown apprentice numbers to 330. The college benefit from a strong track record currently working with 70 clients including large private businesses like Cammell Laird, Balfour Beatty and Clarke Energy to SMEs including Sovex and Laker Vent.
“We have embarked on a rebranding exercise to be better understood by the marketplace,” said Mr Weston. “ It is essential that we communicate the depth of our offering which caters for many sectors including construction, nuclear, petrochemical, renewables, oil and gas and the NHS.”
“We are the only dedicated engineering skills provider in the region, and we provide a range of 20 high skill craft and technician training routes towards engineering qualifications which are not offered elsewhere. Newly improved facilities include additional classroom space, welding and fabrication bays, heavy lift equipment, a CNC machine shop, an electronic workshop and a whole collection of new hi tech IT based engineering simulation equipment.
“The Engineering College provides a constant stream of disciplined, pre-trained, ‘work ready’ applicants for apprenticeships. This should instil confidence in companies who are struggling to find skilled engineers, to see the Engineering College as a solution to the problem. Few college can match the calibre of our industry standard facilities which are rated outstanding, or our engineering teaching which is rated ‘good’, by OFSTED.”
Event sponsors included Cammell Laird Shipbuilders and Shiprepairers, ECITB (Engineering Construction Industry Training Board), Jim Teasdale, Merseyside Equipment, Merseyside Industrial Supplies (MIS), At Shanters catering, Icon Events, Institute of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) and Shawcross.
For more information contact the Engineering College on Tel. 0151 666 1028, Email info@theengineeringcollege.co.uk or visit the website www.theengineeringcollege.co.uk
