18 July 2012
A Caerphilly man has won a prestigious national award for apprentices during a ceremony held in Birmingham earlier this month. Michael Davies, 21, scooped the General Construction Operatives (Highways) Award during the National Construction College (NCC) awards evening.
The awards, in their 13th year, recognise the hard work, determination and skill of its apprentices, from both the private and public sectors. This year's special guest speaker was Tommy Walsh, of BBC Groundforce fame.
Michael's colleagues, Max Nebe and Kyle Barnett, were also nominated for the award, reflecting the hard work and efforts of each individual. Max Nebe was also chosen by his colleagues and tutors to present a vote of thanks speech at the ceremony. Nathan Jones, Highway Maintenance Supervisor for the council, and family members joined the three apprentices at the event.
Cabinet Member for Highways, Transportation and Engineering, Cllr Tom Williams said, "We'd like to extend our congratulations to all three young men, who were each outstanding candidates for the award. To have been nominated is a tremendous achievement in itself and is a direct reflection of their consistent hard work. The decision to pick a winner must have been extremely difficult, however we are delighted with the selection of Michael who is a deserving recipient.
"I have been encouraged by the extremely high standard of our apprentices, along with the high quality support they have received from the council, which shows the strength and impact of the traineeship schemes currently operating. This Authority considers apprenticeships such as these to be at the heart of our determination to develop a hard-working and highly skilled workforce for the future."
All three men commenced employment with the council in September 2011 as Apprentice Highways Operatives and are currently working towards an NVQ and Diploma in Highways Maintenance. Working within the Network Contracting Services (NCS) department at the council, they have been developing skills within all aspects of highway maintenance. In addition to practical experience gained within the Caerphilly area, the three have also been studying at the NCC in Birmingham over the last 9 months.
The apprenticeship itself is completed over a 2-year period, and once fully trained the aim is for them to become NCS Highway Operatives. They will join teams within the council performing vital duties that form part of the Authority's general highway maintenance service provision.
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