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Fantastic five celebrate engineering scholarships

Five prestigious engineering scholarships have been awarded to engineering students at Leeds College of Building by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE).

The £1,500 QUEST Technician Scholarships are given to high calibre students, studying for a civil engineering qualification, and this year, ICE awarded the coveted scholarships to Esther Sullivan, Stuart Hirst, Owen Silver, Mitch Naylor and Tom Rogers. All five students attend Leeds College of Building and are working towards civil engineering qualifications including HNC, Higher Level Apprenticeship and Advanced Technical Apprenticeship.

Esther Sullivan and Owen Silver are both from York and Stuart Hirst is from Leeds. All three work for Tata Steel Projects. Mitch Naylor is from Sheffield and works for global engineering consultancy Mott MacDonald, and Tom Rogers is from Ossett and works for Bradford Council.

Vicky Patterson, a Lecturer at Leeds College of Building’s Higher Education and Construction Management Faculty, said: “All five were presented with their scholarship and certificate by Sir John Armitt, at an evening lecture in Leeds. Sir John is a former President of the ICE, and was the Chairman of the UK’s Olympics Delivery Authority. He was awarded a knighthood for his services to engineering and construction, and it was a fantastic opportunity for our students to meet such a respected figure in the industry.

“Esther, Stuart, Owen, Mitch and Tom faced stiff competition, throughout the region, to win their scholarships. However, their enthusiasm, determination and dedication clearly impressed the panel of judges. There’s no doubt they all have promising careers ahead of them.”

Leeds College of Building has a proven track record of producing talented Civil Engineering Technicians and Apprentices. This is the seventh year in succession that its students have been awarded the ICE Quest Technician scholarships.

Vicky added: “This summer, will also see our 50th Leeds College of Building Civil Engineering Student achieve their Technician Professional Qualification with the Institution of Civil Engineers. On top of this fantastic success, for the last three years our students have been shortlisted for the highly esteemed ICE Jean Venables Medal. This national award is given to the Technician demonstrating exceptional quality in their ICE Professional Review. Our students; Gareth Davies, Beth Holroyd and George Maclean, all made the shortlist, with Gareth going on to win the award.

“And it is not just the ICE, who recognise and acknowledge the quality of our students. For the last three years, our Civil Engineering Apprentices have won the prestigious National BTEC Outstanding Apprentice Award, so I can confidently say, that our civil engineering students are really setting the bar in terms of their achievements, knowledge base and skill sets.”

Penny Marshall, Regional Director for the ICE in Yorkshire and Humber said: “QUEST Scholarships are a sign of true excellence. Winners need to be both good leaders and team players, they must be ambitious, determined and able to act and think independently as well as have plenty of ability and potential. Esther, Stuart, Owen, Mitch and Tom are all very talented and deserving scholarship award winners, and the calibre of students being developed by Leeds College of Building is simply outstanding.”

Six years ago Leeds College of Building was the first educational establishment outside of London, to offer a new three year Civil Engineering Advanced Technician Apprenticeship. The course, started when an employer-led group of like-minded engineering companies, supported by The Institution of Civil Engineering (ICE), The National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) and the College all came together to develop the Civil Engineering Advanced Technician Apprenticeship, which spans a variety of engineering disciplines and offers apprentices a wide range of employment options. It has proved incredibly popular with employers and students alike, and been fully subscribed each year since its inception.

Leeds College of Building provides a range of part time and full time engineering related courses including BTEC levels 3, 4 and 5, Apprenticeships, Higher Apprenticeships, HNCs and Diplomas. For more information about the College and its courses visit www.lcb.ac.uk or call 0113 222 6000.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Emma Mortimer .