Stourbridge College congratulates ace apprentice, Ashley on award win

An Apprentice Carpenter from Dudley has been awarded Apprentice of the Year by local housebuilder Barratt Homes West Midlands.

Ashley James won a £250 bonus from the developer as he saw off competition from the firm’s dozens of Apprentices with his exemplary work ethic and ability.

Ashley, 22, said:

“I wasn’t expecting this award but it’s really great to have won it, and I’m glad my hard work’s been appreciated. I’ve been working with Barratt Homes for two years now, after trying my hand at carpentry for just a few months, and I feel like I’ve made real progress here.”

He is currently studying at Stourbridge College for his NVQ Level 3 in Site Carpentry.

Ashley was nominated for the award by Barratt Homes West Midlands’ Senior Site Manager and Apprentice Champion Stuart Stokes. He said, “Ashley is committed to his job, his time-keeping and attendance are impeccable and his performance is superb. He has the right attitude and wants to better himself, and that’s very important in this industry, so he thoroughly deserves to be named our Apprentice of the Year.”

Lee Andrews, Department Manager at Stourbridge College added:

“Huge congratulations to Ashley. It’s fantastic that Barratt Homes recognise how well he is progressing as an apprentice. The development projects he is working on plus the qualifications he is gaining are providing a well-rounded skills set that will ensure he fully succeeds in the carpentry sector and wider industry.”

Well-established homebuilder Barratt Homes prides itself on creating exceptional homes in the finest locations and recently achieved the maximum five star rating in a customer satisfaction survey ran by the Home Builders Federation for an eighth consecutive year.