CLEAN SWEEP FOR LEEDS APPRENTICES WITH TECHNICAL AWARD WINS

Four Apprentices from Leeds College of Building have been recognised for their outstanding skills by an organisation that encourages and rewards excellence and best practice in the construction industry.

Stuart Hirst, Elsie Brewster, Chris Dixon and Mitch Naylor, who are studying Civil Engineering at Leeds College of Building, received the top accolades at the Generation for Change (G4C) Yorkshire & Humber Awards 2017 Yorkshire & Humber, which were held at an awards ceremony at Sheffield City Hall.

Elsie Brewster, who is from York and works for Network Rail, won two awards taking home the title of ‘Higher Education Student of the Year’ and the coveted G4C ‘Best of the Best’ award.

Stuart Hirst, who is from Sherburn in Elmet and works for TSP Projects, won the ‘Advanced Technical Apprentice of the Year’ award and was also highly commended in the G4C ‘Best of the Best’ category.

Chris Dixon EngTech MICE, who is from Garforth and works for MWH Global, won the ‘New Professional of the Year’ award, and Mitch Naylor, who is from Sheffield and works for Mott MacDonald was highly commended in the ‘Advanced Technical Apprentice of the Year’ category.

G4C is the junior branch of Constructing Excellence Yorkshire & Humber (CEYH) which is run by the Centre for Knowledge Exchange at Leeds Beckett University.

Lecturer Vicky Patterson from Leeds College of Building says: “We are incredibly proud of our student’s achievements. Last year two of our Civil Engineering apprentices took first and second place in the Technical Apprentice of the Year category, so to build on this success is amazing. It is also testament to the support of the employers, the hard work of the students and the excellent teaching staff at Leeds College of Building.”

Leeds College of Building offers 22 Technical Apprenticeship routes such as surveying, transport planning, architectural technology, building services and civil engineering together with two Higher Level Apprenticeships in Construction Management (Sustainability) and Facilities Management, which offer university equivalent work based education. These courses offer an alternative to a full-time degree.

The Faculty of Higher Education Construction Design & Management at Leeds College of Building is a training provider under the new Apprenticeship Levy scheme which starts in April 2017, and will be working with employers to manage their technical apprentices including Level 3 Advanced, Level 4 (HNC) and Level 5 (HND), with progression routes through to Level 6 (Degree).

The college also runs Apprenticeships in traditional trades, including brickwork, carpentry and joinery, electrical, painting and decorating, plastering, plumbing and wall and floor tiling. 

For more details call the Leeds College of Building Apprenticeship Team on 0113 222 6023, email [email protected] or visit www.lcb.ac.uk