ASPIRING GAS ENGINEER FROM BURSCOUGH IS A SCREWFIX TRADE APPRENTICE FINALIST!
Katie Jones, an apprentice gas engineer from Burscough, has reached the final of Screwfix Trade Apprentice 2023- From 1,700 entries, the top 10 have been selected to attend the national final in May
- One winner will be named Screwfix Trade Apprentice 2023 and receive a career-boosting trade bundle worth £10,000
Ten ambitious apprentices, including Katie Jones, an aspiring gas engineer from Burscough, will go head-to-head to be crowned Screwfix Trade Apprentice 2023.
The national award aims to highlight the hard work and dedication of trade apprentices across the UK and Ireland, with the champion receiving a career-boosting £10,000 trade bundle made-up of tools, tech and training.
Katie, 23, who is currently studying gas engineering at Southport College, will be looking to impress a panel of industry experts at a national two-day final in London on 2 and 3 May.
She said: “The award is almost in touching distance now and being one step closer to the final is exciting, but a bit nerve-wracking too!
“Winning Screwfix Trade Apprentice would give me a platform to become an ambassador for women in the trade to inspire more females to enter the industry. Not only have I fallen in love with my career and want to give it my all, but I’m also enthused by the thought of positively contributing to the industry as a whole – alongside my physical work.”
Katie was shortlisted as her passion, dedication and ambition shone through in the semi-final stage. The judges were impressed by Katie’s five-year plan to learn as much as possible, and eventually become self-employed. She also aspires to hire her own apprentices in future, to support the next generation and encourage more women to choose a career in the trade.
During the final, the ten apprentices will have the opportunity to share their apprentice journey and career aspirations with a panel of industry experts. The panel includes representatives from Screwfix, the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering, Federation of Master Builders, National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting and the winner of Screwfix Top Tradesperson 2022, Toby Peacock.
Jack Wallace, Marketing Director for Screwfix, will also join the panel to meet the finalists and crown the winner. He says: “The annual Screwfix Trade Apprentice award is part of our commitment to recognise and reward the future champions of the trade, and in telling their stories, we hope to shine a light on the fantastic work completed by apprentices, day in, day out. Through this award, we also hope to inspire others to start a career in the trade given the countless opportunities the construction industry has to offer.
“The calibre of applications this year has been outstanding. Our finalists have already shown a great deal of skill and ambition to get this far. The standard is incredibly high and I’m really looking forward to finding out more about them at the final.
“Our previous finalists and winners have gone on to start their own companies, become mentors for other apprentices and give back to their community with their incredible skills and talent. I wish our top ten finalists this year the best of luck and I’m confident that they will all go on to achieve brilliant careers too.”
To find out more about the Screwfix Trade Apprentice competition, please visit screwfix.com/sfta
