APPRENTICE GAS ENGINEER, KATIE JONES CROWNED SCREWFIX TRADE APPRENTICE 2023!

• Apprentice gas engineer, from Burscough, wins nationwide competition
• Katie Jones impressed judges with her ambitious long-term vision and her determination to carve out a career in the trade
• The Screwfix Trade Apprentice champion takes home the title and the career-boosting £10k prize bundle including tools, technology, and training

Katie Jones, an apprentice gas engineer from Burscough, has been crowned the Screwfix Trade Apprentice 2023 champion.

Katie, 23, was presented with the coveted award and a career-boosting £10k prize bundle including tools, tech and training, after successfully competing against nine other standout apprentices from across the UK and Ireland.

As part of the two-day final, Katie faced a panel of esteemed industry experts, including representatives from Screwfix, the National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting (NICEIC), the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering (CIPHE), the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), and Screwfix Top Tradesperson 2022, Toby Peacock.

Having been successful in her exams, Katie was encouraged by her school to further her education at university, however she knew that a hands-on career was where her passion lay. Katie enrolled on a gas engineering apprenticeship at Southport College, after taking a keen interest in plumbing and heating. She went on a two-week work experience placement and was offered a job in a matter of days!

With a clear five-year career plan, Katie amazed the judges with her ambition to learn and further her skill set having completed additional courses and qualifications on low carbon technologies and renewables. In the long-term, Katie aspires to one-day run her own business, where she can inspire and educate others about a career in the trade and employ her own apprentices.

Katie said: “I can’t believe I have won. Having entered the competition, I honestly thought that was the last I’d hear of it, so to have been named Screwfix Trade Apprentice 2023 champion is amazing. From start to finish this has all been such a fantastic experience, and I’m over-the-moon to have shared it with nine other first-class apprentices.

“I have a passion for my trade and I want to do my bit to encourage others to consider any trade as a career, regardless of their background. Looking at my own journey, when I was younger there weren’t any role models out there showcasing careers in the trade – so that’s exactly what I want to do.”

With such a high calibre of apprentices reaching this year’s final, the judges also awarded Courtney Maddison, a painter and decorator from Newcastle, highly commended recognition. The third-year apprentice wowed the judges with her sheer determination and her impressive business knowledge, which she gained while stepping in to manage her boss’s company for a period of time. She received a prize bundle worth £1000.

Sammy Ough, Head of Marketing Communications at Screwfix, said: “Katie showed a genuine passion for the plumbing and heating industry and a desire to learn new skills as the industry looks towards a sustainable future. All the judges were really blown away with her professionalism and drive to go the extra mile for her customers. We’re looking forward to seeing where this accolade will take her career.”

More than 1700 apprentices applied for Screwfix Trade Apprentice 2023. To find out more about this competition, please visit screwfix.com/sfta.