25.02.2009

JCB apprentice wins national award

JCB Transmissions employee Paul Howard has been crowned national champion of a competition for engineering apprentices in Wales.

Paul, 22, of Belle Vue, Shrewsbury, was named as the Engineering Employers Federation's First Year Modern Apprentice Overall Winner for Wales for Engineering and Engineering Manufacture at a special ceremony in Llandrindod Wells, Powys. It followed his success in winning first place in the north and mid-Wales regional final earlier this month.

Howard, has been with JCB Transmissions, Wrexham, for 15 months, working four days a week ant the plant, and one day a week at Glyndwr University in Wrexham studying for a HNC in Mechanical Engineering. As part of the competition he had to make a presentation to the judges and show them his work portfolio.
Speaking of the experience he said: “It was nerve wracking and I couldn’t believe it when I was announced as the winner. It’s a great honour and I’m delighted to have been successful in such a prestigious national competition.”
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Paul Howard is presented with an engraved scale model of a JCB loader backhoe by Tim Boothroyd of JCB

JCB Transmissions engineering manager Tim Boothroyd added: “We are all absolutely delighted for Paul. He has worked very hard and this is a well deserved recognition.”

The competition, which was established 58 years ago, is organised by the EEF – the manufacturers’ organisation that represents almost 6,000 companies throughout the UK.