Shortlisted apprentices

• Callum Abdallah, Evolve Facility Services
• Brad Harwood, Ian Williams (IW)

Why this apprentice should be Apprentice of the Year? What makes this apprentice stand out?

Callum has lived in a Riverside Housing Group property and first discovered his passion for all things electrical while watching Riverside’s Evolve Electricians at work in his home and asked questions about the profession. He was determined to pursue a career in the trade and got in touch with Riverside’s Employment and Training Team. Previously, he had been supporting a family member who is a Plumber, demonstrating to Riverside his desire for a Trade career. A year into his apprenticeship, he continues to demonstrate the same levels of enthusiasm and willingness. He has quickly become a key member of the Electrical team and a role model for other apprentices. His college is delighted with his progress.

Brad is an incredibly humble, likeable, and dedicated apprentice who has made an excellent impression on colleagues and clients since starting at Ian Williams. He had no prior practical experience when he joined, however, in just two months, he had demonstrated remarkable proficiency by independently fitting level access shower rooms. He can handle every aspect of the installation process, and demonstrates a strong willingness to undertake all assigned tasks, showing great aptitude. He consistently completes his work orders thoroughly, with a meticulous attention to detail. Brad now operates at the level of a fully qualified operative and his skill set matches many of its experienced multi-trades professionals. Beyond his technical skills, he is a strong team player, with a genuine desire to support those he works with, willingly sharing his knowledge and experience, always ready to help or offer guidance. His approachable nature makes him an excellent peer mentor and he has proven to be a beacon of excellence in the team, setting high standards in every aspect of his work to be a role model, inspiring other apprentices to raise their own performance. From the start, Brad has demonstrated a remarkable ability to connect with residents, understanding their unique needs and concerns. His kindness and patience create a comfortable environment, ensuring that even the most anxious residents feel heard and respected. Brad is keen to continue excelling in every aspect of his work and wants to become a Contracts Manager in 5-10 years. In summary, Brad's ability to combine technical skill with a compassionate customer service sets him apart as an exemplary apprentice.

An example where this apprentice has shown commitment to learning at college and another where they've shown commitment to learning in the workplace.

Callum has shown an advanced level of learning capability and is already solving technical issues on jobs that some experienced Electricians would struggle with. His ‘can do’ attitude means that no issue stands in his way for long, and the skills and knowledge he is building along the way have helped him to build a strong portfolio of evidence that will count towards his qualification. He has received great reviews from his College teachers and has passed all of his exams with ease. He takes every opportunity to learn and develop his skills and regularly volunteering for overtime to gain more experience and to ensure he has the required evidence for his college portfolio. Callum requests opportunities to work on different workstreams to gain experience of different skillsets and ways of working to meet the needs of college assignments. He ensures he is up to date on electrical regulations and codes.

Brad has shown dedication and commitment to his college work since he started his Level 2 Property Maintenance course and has never missed a deadline, and always completing his college assignments on time and to an excellent standard. He is able to do a large variety of work for his level of experience. For example, he is able to confidently lay floors and tiling, fix showers, and is competent at boxing in pipework. After only 18 months, he is doing exceptionally well - undertaking the work of a multi trade operative who has been in the business for years. Since starting his apprenticeship, Brad has been fully engaged in the programme and what has been required from him. Work targets set for him are met in a timely manner and to a very good standard. He attends all sessions made for him and also offers good information to any questions asked of him. When visiting Brad on site, he has always shown that he has a good understanding of his role and is also keen to learn new skills. Brad has supplied photographic evidence to support his portfolio, showing good use of PPE and also good H&S. He has also been proactive in dealing with quality issues where units from suppliers were arriving on site partially damaged by suggesting van stocks were sufficient across all capital contracts to enable Brad and his team to quickly rectify quality issues using back up stocks instead of waiting for stock to be re-ordered and delivered.

A scenario, where this apprentice applied the knowledge, skills, and behaviours they've learned, and how they did this

Callum – Over the past year, he has worked across a number of workstreams, including Day to Day repairs and the kitchen installation programme. These workstreams present different electrical challenges that Callum has worked through effectively, resulting in him acquiring a broad knowledge of electrical processes and procedures. He puts his learning into practice on a daily basis in Riverside’s most technical department, the EICR Electrical Testing Project. This requires Callum to test and find faults in electrical systems, including cables, switches, sockets, and other accessories. He uses these skills to carry out visual inspections to detect potential electrical issues and is also able to check hidden cables and wires. Experienced colleagues have confirmed that he is able to carry out these tests to a professional standard, ensuring that each property is compliant and conforms to high levels of safety standards.

Brad has received mandatory training via Ian Williams internal Academy, including customer care, disability awareness, and working in occupied properties. This has provided Brad with the necessary skills and knowledge to undertake his work with the needs of residents in the forefront of his mind. One example of Brad putting his new skills into practice was when he volunteered to take on a job with an apprehensive resident who had previously received poor service from contractors, and therefore had a negative outlook of the team from the outset. Brad’s calm, collected demeanour, and sensitive approach alleviated the resident’s concerns. He took time to explain every part of the process to the resident in detail, ensuring the time bathroom facilities were not usable was kept to a minimum. This work exceeded the resident’s expectations and testified to Brad’s work ethic, reliability, and professionalism.

What evidence shows this apprentice takes Health & Safety and Compliance seriously?

Callum has completed all relevant H&S training as required for his role, consistently shows that he applies this learning while on site, demonstrating a great understanding of the importance of working safely and compliantly. He is also keen to develop his skills and understanding in identifying asbestos, proactively working on this area to ensure he is fully competent. His time working on the EICR electrical testing programme also demonstrates he has a thorough understanding of how vital health and safety is in his role, and what could happen if compliance is not taken seriously.

Brad is passionate about H&S, developing an in-depth understanding of these issues since joining. He fully understands the importance of H&S compliance and also the implications of not having all the necessary documents to support safe working. He meticulously follows all established safety guidelines and procedures in his work, ensuring he undertakes every task in accordance with industry standards and regulations. He also actively engages in ongoing safety training sessions and toolbox talks, staying updated on the latest H&S practices and protocols. Brad communicates clearly and effectively about safety concerns, ensuring that all team members are aware of potential risks and the steps needed to address them. He takes extra steps to inform residents of any safety measures they should follow whilst work is in progress, and actively encourages residents to ask questions and voice any concerns they might have about the works being done. He listens attentively and addresses their queries with patience and clarity. Brad is always in correct PPE and always fully completes risk assessments before starting work. His diligence in H&S is particularly evident when handling asbestos reports, ensuring he fully understands them by proactively calling and double-checking his interpretations with the Contracts Manager.

Apprentice's top three relevant personal qualities

Callum:

• Honesty about the work completed, any support he needs or questions he has.
• Positive work ethic – a willingness to complete any task presented to him.
• Appetite for learning – he is passionate about self-development and improving his knowledge.

Brad has many excellent personal qualities; his top three qualities are:

• Interpersonal and communication skills – Brad has a polite and humble nature. He is able to change his communication style depending on who is he speaking to, showing understanding of residents’ and empathetic in his approach to working in their homes.
• Resilience to challenges and changes – Brad has consistently proven his practical ability by being able to quickly move onto different tasks at short notice. While there has been a high turnover of mentors leaving, he has not lost motivation and has continued to excel, learning from each of his mentors and putting his collective knowledge into practice.
• Consistent quality in his work – Brad consistently delivers high quality work and his college work is consistently of excellent quality.

How has this apprentice shown commitment to their own personal development and progression?

Callum’s goal is to complete his apprenticeship and become a fully qualified Electrician. He reads electrical magazines to be familiar with different types of tools and work processes. He has also passed his driving test because he recognised the importance of having over 12 months’ experience of driving a vehicle (a requirement for a substantive employee to work on their own after their apprenticeship). He has volunteered for overtime to ensure he has more opportunities to gain practical experience and has also completed all mandatory learning within his role. He regularly looks to further develop his skills, making the most of his strong relationships with experienced colleagues to learn from them.

Brad’s commitment to his personal development is evident in his day-to-day activities. He has researched ways he can improve the quality of his work and has subsequently bought extra tools with his own money in addition to the basic toolkit provided. He will work extra hours to ensure he completes a task to the highest quality, and often does extra-curricular learning in his own time. He strives to do better on each job and is not intimidated by taking on new challenges. He is treated as an operative (only a few apprentices are on priced work). Even when he left briefly for more money, he quickly realised he was not receiving the same level of learning and support. He courageously and honestly admitted his mistake when he decided to return, recognising learning and development was more important than money.

How has this apprentice inspired others?

Callum has been a positive role model for the other apprentices in the Electrical team and Evolve because he is quick to learn, is progressing at college and has got his driving licence. He may also be able to complete his apprenticeship early due to his hard work. He recorded a video for the Employment and Training Team to inspire others who are considering an apprenticeship or a trade career.

Brad leads by example, and actively demonstrates excellence in every task he does. His desire to learn is infectious, inspiring not just his fellow apprentices, but also his mentors. He is a valuable asset, demonstrating professionalism, a positive attitude, and excellent time management. He contributes not only to his direct team but to the company as a whole. He He His humble, willing to take on any task, and consistently strives for success so that other apprentices strive to achieve the same level. Brad’s work ethic is motivational, and he guides peers through their apprenticeships and improving their work standards.

How does this apprentice contribute to the vision and goals of your organisation?

Callum demonstrates Riverside’s values each day of We are Trusted; We Care and We are Inclusive. In line with its Vision, he delivers ‘a great service and keeps customers safe, no matter where they live’ by using his experience of living in a Riverside home to ensure other customers receive the best possible service, are fully informed and are treated with respect in their homes. Through his detailed knowledge of its safety processes and procedures, he is committed to keeping customers safe. He has a positive influence on the way the company portrays itself to its customers by presenting himself well and always carrying out tasks a high standard. Despite only being with the company a little over a year, he has already established himself as a key part of the team. Callum understands the part he plays to help the business to achieve its goals and how positive customer interaction impacts customer satisfaction scores. He is also aware of the compliance measures in place and how he can contribute to this through the EICR electrical testing programme.

Brad has actively helped build and maintain excellent relationships with the team at Warwick Council by providing an outstanding quality on all his work, resulting in clear, concise, and efficient handovers with no snags and no delays to the programme. His work has helped improve the lives of residents by providing much needed bathroom upgrades quickly and to a high standard, all whilst considering the resident’s complex needs. His rapid development from novice to adept professional demonstrates his ability to embrace and implement new skills and techniques effectively. Brad is willing to tackle diverse tasks and innovate solutions reflects Ian Williams’ commitment to continuous improvement and innovation. His kind and hardworking nature ensures high levels of customer satisfaction and trust. By consistently delivering outstanding results and maintaining a calm, composed approach under pressure, Brad exemplifies the professional and ethical standards Ian Williams upholds and supports its vision is to be the ‘go to’ property services partner – truly committed, always innovative and providing fantastic value. Another of its key values is ‘behaving to others as we would wish them to behave to us.’ Brad is an exemplary and inspirational role model through his manners, friendliness, and sensitivity towards other people’s situations.