NSCG Stafford College apprentices sweep the boards at Kelly Tanks Apprentice Awards

Three students from Newcastle and Stafford College Group’s (NSCG) Stafford College who are undertaking an apprenticeship within the construction, engineering and plant maintenance industries swept the boards at a first annual Apprenticeship Awards ceremony hosted by Kelly Tanks.

Kelly Tanks design and supply Concrete Washout & Water Treatment Solutions to the construction industry, boasting the UK’s largest, most diverse fleet of washouts and have distributors in Ireland, New Zealand and Canada. As part of their ‘10 years of Excellence’ celebrations and to coincide with National Apprenticeship Week 2024, Kelly Tanks launched the Apprenticeship Award to recognise and reward apprentices in the Plant industry Sector.

Apprentices Chris Scott working at Marubeni-Komatsu Limited, Bradley Azor working at Readypower Rail Services Limited and Harry Chetwynd working at Balfour Beatty Vinci, were all nominated in the category for the Apprentice of the Year Award. The Apprentice of the Year Award recognises outstanding apprentices for their dedication and excellence in their field, highlighting their significant contributions to their profession and encouraging others to strive for excellence.

The awards ceremony took place at Kelly Hanks HQ in Sandon, Stafford where Chris was named as overall winner and Bradley and Harry took the two runner up spots.

Chris’s manager Craig Mooney, Dual Site Branch Manager at Marubeni-Komatsu Limited said: “We are very proud of Chris, his natural want to learn and understand engineering is a testament to his hard-working ethos. Chris’s cheerful excitement on jobs brings a fresh face to the team and we strive to give him every opportunity to succeed as the heavy plant engineer we know he is capable of becoming. Well done on winning this award, it really shows that hard work is recognised and we are all proud of you.”

Bradley’s Manager Daryl Sim, Head of Engineering at Readypower said: “Although Bradley has just started his apprenticeship journey, he has demonstrated his commitment and shown many strengths undertaking practical tasks. Bradley conducts himself with maturity and professionalism and is already a valued member of the team. We have high hopes for Bradley and believe with the support from the college and his desire to achieve he will become a great asset to our business.”

Commenting on Harry’s runner up award, his manager John Ellard, Mechanical Superintendent Bromford at Balfour Beatty said: “The first thing we noticed about Harry when he joined us was his work ethic to get involved in all parts of the job. He has a great willingness to work in the various aspects of our specialised works on site and to the stage where we can give him something to do knowing it will be carried out correctly. Harry is keen to learn so each day on site he works with a different discipline with different members of the experienced tunnelling team and is an excellent team player who deserves to be recognised in this way.”

Eddie Peake, Curriculum Leader in Construction Plant at NSCG Stafford College’s Construction Plant Technology Centre said: “We deeply appreciate the invaluable contribution of Kelly Tanks in establishing the Apprentice of the Year Award. Their commitment to recognising and celebrating excellence among apprentices not only inspires our students but also aligns with our mission to foster a culture of excellence and continuous improvement. We are grateful for their partnership in honouring the hard work and dedication of apprentices in our industry.”

If you are interested in becoming an apprentice or would like to find an apprentice for your organisation with NSCG visit our Apprenticeship Hub.