Aerospace engineering firm Leonardo among first entries for Edinburgh Apprenticeship Awards 2021

Aerospace engineering company Leonardo is among the first to enter nominations for the inaugural Edinburgh Apprenticeship Awards.

The defence business is hoping to be crowned Large Business Apprentice Employer of the Year and three of their apprentices - Lewis Liston, Scott Leslie and Sam Kirkpatrick - have been entered into the Modern Apprentice of the Year and Rising Star categories, while Amy Lauder is up for the Graduate Apprentice award.

The Edinburgh Evening News will be running the awards for the first time this year to celebrate the best apprentices and employers across the Capital. Nominations are open for all 13 categories and will close on February 15, with a virtual awards set to take place on March 11.

Leonardo, which employs more than 2,000 people at its Crewe Toll site in Edinburgh, says it stands out as a large employer due to the level of empowerment offered to new apprentices that might be more expected of a smaller business.

From the start of their apprenticeship career, apprentices are encouraged to initiate changes on live programmes and the company’s wider STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) outreach activities.

Leonardo, which specialises in designing and building radar technology and targeting laser systems, also became the first defence business in the country to receive Investors in Young People accreditation in 2015.

Young talent

Amy Lauder is a third year graduate level design engineering apprentice who won the company’s apprentice of the yeard award at local and UK level, as well as helping with community STEM initiatives and fundraising thousands of pounds for local charities.

Some of the Leonardo apprentices who have been nominated in the Modern Apprentice and Rising Star categories at the inaugural Edinburgh Apprenticeship Awards 2021. Pictures: Leonardo

Scott Leslie, a test equipment technician who has just started an electronics degree at Edinburgh Napier University, is already a winner of Leonardo’s apprentice of the year award and has been a consistent contributor to local STEM and charity initiatives.

Industrial technician Lewis Liston received outstanding feedback from one supplier he worked with when he trained them in Leonardo’s technology, creating tailored videos offering step by step guides on its capability.

Sam Kirkpatrick was recently promoted to the position of industrial engineer due to outstanding performance, successfully creating and delivering workshops to aid apprentices’ long-term development by drawing on the knowledge he has gained at Leonardo.

Here’s how to nominate for the awards.

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