A Southport College student has won the 2023 Screwfix Trade Apprentice of the Year Award!
Katie Jones was victorious from 10 finalists, out of a total of 1,700 entries.
She has been named Screwfix Trade Apprentice 2023 and receives a career-boosting trade bundle worth £10,000.
A Southport College spokesperson said: “Katie wowed the Screwfix panel with her ambition and resilience to build a career in her trade and a true determination to better herself and hone her skills!
“A massive well done to Katie and everyone involved in supporting her to become the SFTA Champion 2023!”
Ten ambitious apprentices, including Katie Jones, an aspiring gas engineer from Burscough, went head-to-head to be crowned Screwfix Trade Apprentice 2023.
The national award aims to highlight the hard work and dedication of trade apprentices across the UK and Ireland, with the champion, Kati,e receiving a career-boosting £10,000 trade bundle made-up of tools, tech and training.
Katie, 23, who is currently studying gas engineering at Southport College, impressed a panel of industry experts at a national two-day final in London on 2 and 3 May.
She said: “Winning Screwfix Trade Apprentice gives me a platform to become an ambassador for women in the trade to inspire more females to enter the industry.
“Not only have I fallen in love with my career and want to give it my all, but I’m also enthused by the thought of positively contributing to the industry as a whole – alongside my physical work.”
Katie was honoured as her passion, dedication and ambition shone through.
The judges were impressed by Katie’s five-year plan to learn as much as possible, and eventually become self-employed.
She also aspires to hire her own apprentices in future, to support the next generation and encourage more women to choose a career in the trade.
Jack Wallace, Marketing Director for Screwfix, said: “The annual Screwfix Trade Apprentice award is part of our commitment to recognise and reward the future champions of the trade, and in telling their stories, we hope to shine a light on the fantastic work completed by apprentices, day in, day out. Through this award, we also hope to inspire others to start a career in the trade given the countless opportunities the construction industry has to offer.
“The calibre of applications this year has been outstanding.
“Our previous finalists and winners have gone on to start their own companies, become mentors for other apprentices and give back to their community with their incredible skills and talent.”
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