Rochdale apprentice honoured with accolade at ECI Training and Development Awards

An apprentice from Rochdale is celebrating after scooping an award at a ceremony to honour the very best of engineering construction talent in the UK.

Lewis White, who works for project consultancy Herne Group in Wigan, was named Apprentice of the Year at the 12th annual ECI Training and Development Awards on 5 November in London.

The event, organised by the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB), brought together industry leaders, as well as the rising stars of tomorrow, for a celebration of excellence in training and development.

Lewis came out on top after being shortlisted in the final three for the award, which recognises outstanding individuals who have either embarked on or successfully completed a recognised apprenticeship pathway within the past 12 months.

The 20-year-old, who is a Level 3 Apprentice Project Controls Technician, was recognised by the judges as a “great ambassador” for both Herne Group and the wider industry.

The submission for the awards highlighted Lewis’ dedication, proactive attitude and one-team mindset and how he has been praised by external stakeholders for his outstanding contributions to major project reporting processes.

The judges recognised Lewis for utilising new skills developed alongside his apprenticeship to turn a work placement into a billable role, creating a significant reporting dashboard for a major nuclear decommissioning project.

Lewis said: “It’s my first award ceremony and I’m very proud to have won and very grateful for the opportunity.

“I joined Herne with zero knowledge of the project area, but I thought I had the skills to be a project controller which is what pushed me to go for that. The support that I’ve had has made it a lot easier to transition going into a profession with little knowledge to where I am today winning an award.

“I didn’t think I’d be working with clients like I have this early in my career, but I’m really proud to have done so and it’s been really interesting.

“I get a lot of training through my college course and a lot of external training on different software, such as PowerBi, to increase my capability and knowledge in different areas.”

The ceremony recognised standout individuals, companies and training providers as awards were presented to winners across nine categories at what is now an established highlight in the engineering construction industry’s (ECI) calendar.

The theme of the awards was change and, in opening the event, ECITB chief executive Andrew Hockey spoke of the new Government’s commitment to skills and how the industry is changing as it plays its part in realising the country’s net zero goals.

He said: “The ECITB, as the industry’s employer-led training board, stands at the heart of these changes to support the skills needs of the workforce.

“With our collective desire, endeavour and expertise, exemplified by the exceptional talent gathered at the awards, we can tackle the challenges ahead and seize the opportunities to ensure our industry is well-placed for the future.

“The standard of nominees this year was again incredibly high, showcasing the great things happening in training and development across the industry.

“I would like to thank our judges and congratulate all the winners and finalists who are great examples of excellence in our industry."