Lewis White, 20, from Rochdale, and Toby Highstead, 24, who is based in Warrington, were named Apprentice of the Year and Graduate of the Year respectively at the 12th annual ECI Training and Development Awards in London.
The event, organised by the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB), brought together industry leaders, as well as the rising stars of tomorrow, for a celebration of excellence in training and development.
Held at One Marylebone, an iconic Grade I listed building in the heart of the capital, the event was hosted by Chair of the ECITB Innov8 Group Chinwe Odili, a STEM champion and award-winning structural engineer from Kent plc.
Lewis, who is a Level 3 Apprentice Project Controls Technician, works in Wigan for project consultancy Herne Group.
He was recognised by the judges as a “great ambassador” for both the company and wider industry for his dedication, proactive attitude and one-team mindset through his “outstanding contributions to major project reporting processes”.
In particular, Lewis utilised new skills developed alongside his apprenticeship to turn a work placement into a billable role, creating a significant reporting dashboard for a major nuclear decommissioning project.
Lewis said: “It’s my first award ceremony and I’m very proud to have won and very grateful for the opportunity.
“I joined Herne with zero knowledge of the project area, but I thought I had the skills to be a project controller which is what pushed me to go for that. The support that I’ve had has made it a lot easier to transition going into a profession with little knowledge to where I am today winning an award.
“I didn’t think I’d be working with clients like I have this early in my career, but I’m really proud to have done so and it’s been really interesting.
“I get a lot of training through my college course and a lot of external training on different software, such as PowerBi, to increase my capability and knowledge in different areas.”
Toby, who is a mechanical engineer at Amentum in Warrington, graduated with a Master’s in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Leicester.
He joined Jacobs in September 2022 and spent two years as a graduate mechanical engineer in the nuclear decommissioning sector in Scotland, engaging in project planning, design and implementation. The firm merged with Amentum in September this year.
Toby was recognised by the judges for his technical prowess, innovative problem-solving, leadership, dedication to community and environmental stewardship.
The award submission highlighted how his innovative contributions have strengthened client relations and enhanced project efficiency and accuracy significantly, exemplified by his use of AI and creation of a custom code using ChatGPT.
Toby said: “I was told when I was younger that I would never become an engineer, so I am over the moon to have been recognised for what I have achieved.
“I always enjoyed STEM subjects when I was at school, I was into science and maths. I remember my year four teacher pulling my parents to one side at a parents evening and saying I had a talent. I hope he would be proud of me now.
“This is only the start of my career. I can only see it going further from here. Winning means a lot to me. It shows the passion I have for this industry.”