An apprentice from Doncaster triumphed as one of the big winners at the 2018 Drax Power Apprenticeship Awards.
Mechanical craftsperson Jack Morris, 20, shared the Year 4 award with Jack Bailey, also 20, from Pontefract. The judges said it was ‘impossible’ to decide between them, as they had both been outstanding throughout their entire four-year apprenticeship. Both winners will now continue their careers with Drax in the engineering department.
Jack Morris said: “It’s a fantastic feeling to know that we’ve been selected out of all the really good apprentices there are. I’ve still got lots to learn but it’s great experience. There’s so much technical ability at Drax to learn from, it’s a fantastic start for us all.”
Andy Koss, Drax Power CEO, said: “Our apprentices are the future of our business. Jack really deserves this award for the commitment he has shown and the value he’s already bringing to the business.
“An apprenticeship is a brilliant way to start a career in engineering. We’ve got lots of successful former apprentices working at Drax Power Station – there are engineers, section heads and department managers who all started out as apprentices.
“Investing in skills and the future of our people is vital not just for our business but for the Northern Powerhouse region and the UK as a whole. I’m looking forward to seeing Jack and the other award winners develop their careers with Drax over the years to come.”
The other winners on the night included:
- Electrical craftsperson Jake Dawson, 21, from Carlton, near Selby, who rounded off his first year as an apprentice at Drax by being named the Year 1 Apprentice of the Year. He was praised for his work ethic and the reliability he had shown so early on in his career.
- Electrical craftsperson Tom Glennon-Fell, 20, from Selby, who was named the Year 3 Apprentice of the Year, for his enthusiasm to learn and willingness to go the extra mile.
- Thomas Hughes, 26, from Goole, who picked up the Business Apprentice of the Year Award for his work to support teams across Drax Group. Thomas was commended for his attention to detail and consistently delivering good results.
- Jack Bailey also took home the Paul Chambers Outstanding Achievement Award.
Drax increased its intake of apprentices this year by almost 50%, with nine new starters getting the chance to learn a trade, develop new skills and launch their career in engineering at the Selby-based power station, the largest decarbonisation project in Europe.
It will be accepting applications for technical apprenticeships in January with further opportunities in business support areas, such as finance and business administration, becoming available throughout the year. Drax is keen to attract applications from people of all backgrounds and to encourage diversity.
