Apprentice engineers at The Engineering College in Birkenhead see their achievements recognised at awards ceremony. Tony McDonough reports

“Dedication and talent” demonstrated by 14 engineering apprentices was recognised at an awards ceremony in Wirral.

The Engineering College, which is based next to the Cammell Laird shipyard in Birkenhead, held its annual apprenticeship awards at Dockside in Egerton House on the waterfront.

Theme for this year’s awards evening was “Making a Difference”, in recognition that apprentices at The Engineering College are developing vital skills by working on some of the largest engineering programmes in the maritime and construction sectors. 

Keynote speech was delivered by Phil Waterhouse, the former Royal Navy Regional Commander for Northern England and Isle of Man.

He reflected on his career in the Royal Navy and how his experience of seeing first-hand how the many different types of engineers, operating in high performing teams kept a sea-borne community warm, nourished, healthy, safe and protected at sea.

Phil issued those apprentices collecting awards or graduating with a call to action telling them that “it is they that are destined to be tomorrow’s problem solvers in society”.

There were also speeches from some successful ex-apprentices about the importance of apprenticeships to industry including Mike Hill, ex shipyard apprentice and now managing director of Cammell Laird, and also from Charlie Brierton ex-apprentice and now engineering project manager at Studley Engineering.

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Terry Weston, chief executive at The Engineering College, said: “Our apprentices are currently working on some of the UK’s most important engineering programmes, including major maritime projects such as the block build of the Type 26 frigates.”

The Engineering College’s awards ceremony included 14 award categories and students were nominated and voted for by staff at the college and the employers of their apprentices. Winners were: 

• Pre-Apprenticeship Student of the Year – Kevin Parr and Sam Hillhouse 
• Foundation Apprentice of the Year – Sean Boulger 
• Foundation Year 2 Apprentice of the Year – Chryzler Buenaventura
• Development Apprentice of the Year – William Patton 
• Development Year 4 Apprentice of the Year – Sol Foster-Ferrington 
• Cammell Laird Apprentice of the Year – Jackson Bateman 
• Cammell Laird Year 2 Apprentice of the Year – Shay Black
• Cammell Laird Development Apprentice of the Year – Kieron Leason
• ECITB Apprentice of the Year – Cameron Ward
• TWI ‘Welder of the Year’ – Neil Monaghan 
• Outstanding Commitment Award – Brad Jones
• IMarEST ‘Apprentice of the Year’ – Lewis Heath
• IMechE ‘Most Approved Apprentice’ – Tom Butler
• Overall Apprentice of the Year – Sol Foster-Ferrington