Twenty-five year old Samantha Jones has been named winner of the 2015 Apprentice Exchange Programme, organised by the Joint Industry Board (JIB).
Employed by Melvin John Electrical in Coleford, Gloucester, Jones will fly out to the United States in May and spend six weeks living and working in New York. During her trip she will learn how electrical contracting works in the country and will act as an ambassador for the UK industry.
The selection process involved a shortlist of six potential applicants taking part in a challenging interview. Jones impressed judges with her preparation, confidence and existing commitment to promoting the industry.
“For such a young woman, Samantha’s achievements to date are impressive, including from her work with JTL as an ambassador promoting the role of women in the construction industry and with the NICEIC in ita Jobs for the Girls campaign,” said Ivor Williams, chairman of the JIB’s Further Education Committee.
“Samantha is a confident and knowledgeable apprentice who will only excel within the industry and I have no doubts will be a fantastic ambassador in New York,” he continued. “She was selected from a particularly strong group of apprentices at interview which is a great achievement in itself, and certainly bodes well for the calibre of future operatives in the industry.”
Commenting on her win, Jones said: “I am very much looking forward to my new overseas ambassador role to experience travelling to another country, to work in a different environment, to experience the differences in work ethic, training and installation methods and to bring back positive and negative feedback, which could help the industry standards in this country. It’s also going to be very interesting to see at what level women are engaged within the electrical industry.”
During her trip Jones will be writing a blog and uploading pictures of her adventures via the JIB website.
The 2015 exchange is a tripartite programme will also see an Australian apprentice visit England later this year and a New York apprentice travel to Australia. The scheme is being run by the JIB in conjunction with training provider JTL, the Electrical Contractors’ Association and Unite the Union.