Fermanagh student, Stuart Graham won Apprentice of the Year at Northern Irelands Electrical Awards held in the Hilton Hotel Belfast last week.
Stuart has built a strong foundation that went towards winning this award. He succeeded in SWC Intercampus competition, gaining a perfect score of 100 out of 100- making him the first person to ever do so since the competition began. He also took first place at this year’s SkillBuild NI Finals beating stiff competition from other colleges.
Nominated by his lecturers at South West College (SWC), and his employer at GR White and Son, Stuart received glowing recommendations from both.
Mark Dalton, college lecturer said “Stuart has excelled in the electrical field since entering, and I am sure he will go on to achieve more in the future. His practical skills, knowledge and understanding are these of a much more experienced electrician and his attitude to work is superb.”
Rodney White, Operations Director at GR White and Son added “Stuart is a great asset to the company. His ability to work on domestic, commercial and industrial projects is exceptional, and we have no hesitation in introducing Stuart to new and challenging tasks at any level.”
Commenting on his experience, award winner Stuart said “Working in all three sectors has allowed me to broaden my knowledge and skills. Adapting to the situation in hand is important as an electrician, and working on site in a variety of situations has improved my ability as a competent and efficient apprentice electrician, which I believe will be invaluable upon completion of my apprenticeship.”
Deputy Head of Training at SWC, Pat O’ Hanlon said that “The mix of theory, practical work and competition is the recipe for success in the electrical sector today. We at SWC want to provide future apprentices with the best training available, which will then be employed by the local industry and recognised at Awards like these.”