Jon joins the elite of UK apprentices
TOP APPRENTICE: Pictured left to right are Nic Erskine, West Midlands Business Partner of SEMTA, Newburgh apprentice Jonathan Todd, and EEF Regional Director Richard Halstead. Photo contributed.
JONATHAN Todd, 21, from Bamford, has joined an elite group of top business performers who are regional winners in the EEF Future Manufacturing Awards 2012.
He showed what he’s made of by winning the EEF Midlands Region Outstanding Achievement by a First Year Apprentice Award, sponsored by Semta, the sector skills council for science, engineering and manufacturing technologies.
Jonathan is a former pupil of Hope Valley College and Lady Manners School, where he completed his A Levels. He then was selected for an apprenticeship at Newburgh Engineering Co, a long established precision component manufacturer based in Bradwell, Derbyshire, which also has a large state-of-the-art facility in Rotherham, South Yorkshire.
He has impressed his employers with his strong work ethic and upbeat attitude, continually striving to do his best at whatever task he is given, and embracing every opportunity available to him. His enthusiasm, zest and eagerness not only contribute to a positive working environment but are also making an impact on local youngsters, thanks to his active involvement in events to attract young people into engineering.
The annual business awards are hosted by EEF, the UK manufacturers’ organisation, and recognise excellence in enterprise, innovation, environmental performance and skills development among UK manufacturers.
Jonathan said: “A lot of my friends chose to go to university after completing our A Levels. I had other ideas, I wanted to do something that did not involve being in debt and would mean on-the-job training where I could gain qualifications as well as experience. I firmly believe I selected the correct option. I really enjoy my work and am looking forward to progressing in the future within Newburgh Engineering.”
Richard Halstead, EEF Midlands Regional Director, said: “This award was fiercely contested and it was a difficult choice to select from the high quality entries we received. Jonathan is an extremely hard working individual with a passion for engineering – this marked him out as a role model who will inspire other young people to achieve. He is a great ambassador for UK manufacturing and has an exciting future ahead of him. I wish him continued success and best of luck in the national final.”
The judging panel, led by Cranfield University and the Institute for Manufacturing at the University of Cambridge, praised Jonathan’s achievements.
Bill Twigg, Semta’s Apprenticeship Director, said: “Apprentices are vital to the future of the UK’s economy. Semta research indicates that industry needs to recruit and train 82,000 engineers, scientists and technicians across the UK by 2016.”
Jonathan will go forward to compete against other regional winners from across the UK in EEF’s National Awards final on January 31 2013 in London.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Buxton
Tuesday 21 May 2013
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 7 C to 13 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: North
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 3 C to 12 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: West
