Trainee John wins apprentice award

A trainee engineer from Whitburn has been recognised for his outstanding performance by his employer after coming top in its 2016 Apprentice of the Year Awards.

Gary Barnes, left, and Neil Snell present John Brady with his Apprentice of the Year certificate and trophy.

John Brady, 24, fought off competition from 130 of his peers to be named as gas distribution company SGN Apprentice of the Year 2016. He also carried off the award for Best Depot Apprentice in Scotland.

Now in the second year of his apprenticeship, John is completing his training by combining theoretical study at Develop Training’s Linlithgow facility with practical experience on-site under the supervision of an experienced engineer.

John tried his hand at a variety of jobs before deciding he wanted to get a trade that would offer him opportunities for progression.

He said: “I’d heard of SGN and knew they had a good reputation. I’ve loved every minute of my training so far and it’s given me really good experience.”

John’s mentor, John Roberts, said he was delighted his efforts had been rewarded: “John is a confident and valuable member of staff, and is happy to help with any task given to him.

“As part of his training, last year, he travelled to Germany to help work on SGN’s iCore project, which uses new ‘keyhole’ technology to minimise disruption to road users.”

In deciding who should win the company’s Apprentice of the Year award, SGN’s Training team took into account the views of the apprentices’ mentors, their line managers and those who oversee the apprenticeship programme. They were also judged on the progress they had made and the personal skills demonstrated throughout 2016.

Neil Snell, SGN Head of Training and Development, said it wasn’t simply about which apprentice performed best academically, it was more of a broad judgement about attitude, behaviour, performance and how they got on with other people.

He said: “John has been an all-round excellent performer, both in his formal training and when he works alongside more experienced colleagues.

“In the relatively short time he has been with us, he has already made a real and significant contribution to the company and he should be very proud of his achievements.”

Since launching its apprenticeship programme in 2008, SGN has recruited 90 apprentices for its six depots in Scotland. It invests between £90,000 and £140,000 in each apprentice.

John was presented with his trophy and certificate by Gary Barnes, SGN’s Director of Corporate Services, at the company’s Edinburgh office.

SGN manages the network that distributes natural and green gas to 5.9 million homes and businesses across Scotland and southern England.