The three apprentices, all who now work full-time at the Mazak facility in Worcester, picked up their awards at a special event held at Worcester Rugby Club.
Bethany Addis, 17, won Engineering Apprentice of the Year – the first ever female winner of the award. She is in her second year of a three-year apprenticeship and is Mazak’s first ever female machining apprentice at its Worcester-based European manufacturing plant.
Harry Fuller, also 17, who is in the second year of a four-year apprenticeship, won the Personal Development Award as part of his sheet metal apprenticeship.
Finally, Joe Kennie, 21, won the Post-First Year Craft Apprentice of the Year Award. Originally from Nottingham, Joe moved to Worcester to undertake his three-year apprenticeship with Mazak and is currently working in the heavy machining section.
Says Yamazaki Mazak’s European Group managing director: “We have expanded our apprenticeship scheme significantly in recent years and now have more than 50 apprentices working in our European headquarters and manufacturing facility.
“These three awards are testament to the ‘can do’ attitude of all our apprentices, their enthusiasm and willingness to learn. It is to the great credit of everyone in our Learning and Development Team, specifically Dave Barnett and Chris Morris, who have provided an outstanding working and learning environment in which young people can thrive.”
He continues: “I am particularly pleased with Bethany’s award and I hope it sends a signal that engineering and manufacturing is no longer an exclusively male profession.”
