Fabricom GDF Suez has held its 5th Annual Apprentice Technician of the Year awards, recognising the achievements of local young talent. ECITB apprentice James Wild (21) from Market Rasen, Lincolnshire won the Apprentice Technician of the Year award. He was praised for his professionalism, dedication, a great attitude towards work, and excellent technical and safety knowledge.
James is an apprentice technician electrician based at Fabricom's Immingham facility and currently working onsite on a project for Total UK at Lindsey oil refinery. The runner up, ECITB apprentice Tom Drant (18), is an apprentice technician pipefitter from Grimsby, and also based at Immingham working at Total UK's Lindsey oil refinery.
Fabricom's senior HR manager Yvonne Day, who is responsible for all Fabricom GDF Suez apprentice technicians in the UK, said; "We've been training apprentices for over 30 years and this year marks 12 years of partnership with the ECITB, and the fifth year we've held the awards. We're very proud of James and Tom. All third-year apprentices are eligible for the award, and this year has been particularly difficult with excellent nominees creating a tight competition."
Jim Kinnell, head of apprenticeship programmes at the ECITB, attended the awards and said; "Apprentices are an asset to any business in the engineering construction industry and are an integral part of the future at Fabricom and elsewhere. It was a difficult choice between the two lads today, but they're both helping to encourage more young people to consider a career in the engineering construction industry through their dedication and passion for the job; and this is essential to bridging the current skills gap in the UK."