JTL is delighted to announce the three winners of its annual National Apprentice of the Year Awards for 2020 – Ellen Lodge (nee O’Connor), Arnie Humphreys and Callan Baker.
After being crowned winners at JTL’s Regional Awards in March last year, Ellen, Arnie and Callan automatically qualified for the National Apprentice of the Year 2020 Awards, competing against 12 other regional electrical and Mechanical Engineering Services (MES) winners.
As part of the selection process, the finalists took part in an online interview, and once completed, it was agreed that Ellen should be announced as the overall national winner, with Callan and Arnie being the Electrical and MES national winners respectively.
Due to the current Covid-19 pandemic, the 2020 awards were delayed and the usual ceremony for the JTL National Apprentice of the Year Awards could not take place. Instead, JTL’s chief executive, Jon Graham presented the awards via an online event on Friday 5th February.
Jon Graham said: “Our awards are a great opportunity to acknowledge the excellence of our top apprentices, so it’s disappointing that we’ve been unable to recognise our finalists and winners, as well as our dedicated employers in the way we would have liked to. I’m pleased, however, that we were able to hold a special online presentation to mark the occasion and congratulate the worthy winners.
“In my conversations with 2020’s finalists, I’ve been struck by their maturity and commitment to the cause, particularly during this challenging period. It’s been a pleasure getting to know Ellen, Callan and Arnie as part of this process and I want to congratulate them on their achievements. They’ve all certainly got bright futures ahead of them and I wish them the best of luck”.
Watch our National Awards online awards event below…
The prize sponsors for 2020’s National Apprenticeship of the Year Awards were Edmundson Electrical (electrical) and Monument Tools (MES), who also provide all of JTL’s new apprentices with starter toolkits. Callan received a £500 cheque from Edmundson Electrical, whilst Monument Tools donated a £500 voucher to Arnie. All three winners received an engraved glass trophy and, as the overall winner, Ellen also received a £1000 cheque from JTL.
Ellen, who got married shortly after winning her regional award, now lectures at Dover Technical College teaching electrical apprentices, said: “I am absolutely honoured to win this award and am extremely grateful for the encouragement and support I have received from both my JTL tutors, JTL training officer and my employer. Serving my apprenticeship at Ashford Borough Council was a great kickstart to my career and was an amazing environment for me to learn my trade. I have now moved on to teach apprentices taking the same course I did, I thoroughly enjoy my job as a lecturer and hope I can continue to inspire and enable young people to learn a trade”.
Arnie, who currently holds a 6129 Level 3 with Solar, said: “I was thrilled to receive the news that I had won the JTL MES National Apprentice of the Year award. After working so hard to get an apprenticeship to complete my NVQ, it is extra rewarding to be recognised for all the effort I’ve put into my training. I still enjoy plumbing as much now as I did when I first started and look forward to the changes and challenges to come within my continued career in the trade”.
Callan commented: “I am extremely pleased to have been awarded the JTL National Electrical Apprentice of the Year. A huge part of this success is down to the strong teams I have worked alongside during my apprenticeship at TClarke, which has allowed me to gain various skills and knowledge. Since completing my apprenticeship, I have progressed into the current position of Contracts Engineer. I have also furthered my training by undertaking a HNC at London South Bank University, whilst also being enrolled onto the TClarke Future Leaders programme. I would highly recommend an apprenticeship to anyone who is looking for a stable career with plenty of long-term opportunities, especially at TClarke”.
The winners:
JTL National Apprentice of the Year 2020 – Ellen Lodge (nee O’Connor)
JTL South East Region
Apprenticeship employer: Ashford Borough Council
Training Officer: Barry Robinson
JTL National Mechanical Engineering Services Apprentice of the Year 2020 – Arnie Humphreys
JTL London Region
Apprenticeship employer: Spie
Training Officer: Mark Brown
JTL National Electrical Apprentice of the Year 2020 – Callan Baker
JTL London Region
Apprenticeship employer: T Clarke
Training Officer: Kevin Cleverley
Full list of our finalists:
Wales – Nathan Rimes from Abertillery (Powerlink Electrical Services).
North West – Elliot Lake from Preston (Future Technology Services Ltd) and Georgie Dillion Pannett from Manchester (Imtech).
Yorkshire and the North East – William Forsyth from Halifax (J & R Electrical LTD).
Midlands – Louis Quinn from Solihull (Fortem/Orbit) and Shaun Donaldson from Birmingham (JS Wright Co LTD).
South West – Christopher Cummins from Oxford (Monard Electrical Contractors LLP) and Jarvis Silvester from Fareham (Silvester & Sons Plumbing & Heating).
London – Arnie Humphreys from Romford (Spie) and Callan Baker (T Clarke).
South East – Ellen Lodge (nee O’Connor) from Folkestone (Ashford Borough Council).
East of England – Thomas Chapman from Bury St Edmunds (Lark Technology Group Ltd).
In memory of William Forsyth
Very sadly William Forsyth, Electrical Regional Winner for JTL’s Yorkshire and North East region and JTL National Awards Finalist passed away after a long illness in March last year. William’s Training Officer Sam Shimmin said of William ‘He was a courageous young man and a natural leader, helping to guide other apprentices who needed support in his class. He also demonstrated his leadership skills on site on numerous occasions, having the ability to stay calm during stressful situations. William will be very sadly missed.’
