Member Article

Best in Britain: Prestigious award for apprentice at Yorkshire housebuilder

Yorkshire based apprentice Gabriel Lynch, from Barratt Developments Yorkshire West, has been crowned Great Britain Apprentice of the Year at the prestigious Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) Awards 2018.

As well as the overall title, he also went home with two other awards; Regional Apprentice of the Year for North East, Yorkshire and the Humber, and Apprentice of the Year England, rounding off a fantastic year.

Gabriel, known as Gabe, 21 from Leeds was nominated for the Apprentice of the Year award by his CITB Mentor, Sula Sneddon, after demonstrating his outstanding work ethic at the housebuilder’s Leeds-based headquarters and at developments around the region. He saw off fierce competition from other apprentices around the UK to take the crown at the awards, which took place this week.

Gabe said on the win: “I’m still a little overwhelmed, to win one award is brilliant but to take home three including the overall title is a dream come true. I’m determined to be the best I can in my career and am lucky to have a brilliant team supporting me and helping me to develop. I’d recommend Barratt’s apprentice program to anyone looking to get into housebuilding.”

Gabe joined the team in July 2016 through Barratt’s commercial apprentice programme, which is coordinated with CITB, after completing his A-levels at Leeds City College. Gabe was seeking to develop a career in construction and was attracted to Barratt’s programme due to the opportunities to study and work simultaneously.

Gabe’s determination and motivation helped him achieve his NVQ Level 3 qualification four months early, completing his Diploma to an excellent standard. Gabe had already won Barratt’s quarterly Individual Excellence award and Individual of the Year title, after being nominated by his peers for his work in assisting the accounts department, construction team and technical department. It was this hard work that gained the recognition of his mentor Sula, who then nominated him for Apprentice of the Year.

Martin Purdy, Commercial Director at Barratt Homes commented: “We are incredibly proud of Gabe and over the moon that he has walked away with the title. It’s a testament to his hard work and development and he thoroughly deserves the accolades. He has set a great example to the other apprentices and has shown that hard work really does pay off!”

Sula commented: “I’m so thrilled that Gabe has won the Great Britain Apprentice of the Year title! He always gives 100% and is never shy to lend a hand, which is one of the many reasons he received the Individual Excellence Award earlier this year. His willingness to learn every aspect of the business and general attitude towards his education and career make him a very worthy winner.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Richard Savage .