ECA 2018 Apprentice of the Year
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| Jack Teasdale, of Opus Building Services Ltd, won the ECA Edmundson Apprentice of the Year Award for 2018. |
For more than 40 years, the ECA Edmundson Award has been the premier training award in the electrotechnical industry, recognising outstanding apprentices working for ECA members. The finalists should not only have good technical skills (having recently passed their AM2 and completed their apprenticeship), but also be role models for others in the industry.
The winner will be involved with ECA campaigns and events throughout the year and will also receive an array of prizes from Edmundson Electrical including a cheque for £1500, a state-of-the-art toolkit and a unique trip overseas. There are also great prizes for the two other finalists.
Past winners of the ECA Edmundson Award have gone on to a range of careers, including running their own companies in the UK and taking high profile jobs internationally.
In the 8 months since winning the award, Jack has seen his career progress in leaps and bounds. Read his thoughts below and enter (or nominate someone) to become the next ECA Edmundson Apprentice of the Year in 2019 here.
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Since winning the award, I’ve been given new opportunities at work, which has been great, and I’ve been moved up to a supervisory level. I believe that the award has given me more confidence in my abilities and my knowledge, which has helped me hugely in my new role. In terms of career progression, the last year has been really positive. My employer has shown trust in me to allow me to control and complete two projects at a supervisory level. The two projects gave me an excellent opportunity to learn and gain experience, and I was offered support throughout. I’m currently in the process of my third project and I’m thoroughly enjoying the challenge. As an ambassador for apprentices in the industry, I think it is important to spread the message that, contrary to misconceptions, apprenticeships are a potential gateway to a rewarding, diverse and well-paid career. When I was leaving school, I received advice from successful people in the industry about which path would help me achieve my goals, and decided an apprenticeship was the best route for me. My career progression in a short number of years is proof that this was the right choice. By choosing an apprenticeship, you can gain unrivalled experience in the industry which will help you to work confidently and effectively. Within the electrical sector, I’ve found that my career has been varied and rewarding, both financially and emotionally – this is not always the case for my peers who went down the university route. To anyone thinking of entering for the next Award, I would say, go for it! It’s a great opportunity to gain a well-respected accolade. During the process I also gained experience, skills and confidence which have all helped me in my career so far. |
For more information and to enter, visit http://www.eca.co.uk/edmundson.
This article was originally published on the ECA Blog on 3 May 2019.
--ECA
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