An 18-year-old apprentice has been named as the nation’s top Young Achiever in a national housebuilder’s award scheme.
Ashton Quince, from Wisbech, was named Persimmon Homes Trade Apprentice of the Year, after seeing off competition from across the company’s 24 regional businesses. He started work with Persimmon Homes East Midlands as an apprentice carpenter/joiner in September 2013.
The inaugural Young Achievers award programme was launched by Persimmon Homes earlier this year to showcase its apprentices and trainees who have gone above and beyond to succeed in their role.
The housebuilder believes it’s important to invest in its young workforce, with the chief executive, Jeff Fairburn, placing emphasis on the role trainees can play in the business’s future as he himself started in the construction industry as a 17-year-old trainee quantity surveyor.
Adrian Evans, managing director at Persimmon Homes East Midlands, said: “Ashton is very dedicated and works hard and we are delighted that he has won this award. We are hugely proud of his achievement.
“Persimmon manages a robust apprentice and trainee programme, taking more than 100 young people into the business nationally each year.
“We feel it is important to reward those youngsters who have got off to a flying start and Ashton is a perfect example of this.”
Ashton, who went to Neale Wade Community College, was initially selected as a regional winner for the Young Achiever Awards along with Sarah Simmonds, who was chosen as the regional sales trainee of the year.
Adrian added: “It wasn’t easy singling out individuals to best represent our region. However, we feel that Ashton and Sarah are shining examples of our future workforce and are already well on the road to forging successful careers in the property sector.”
It is not the first time that Ashton’s skill and dedication have been recognised. As part of his extensive training, he attends Peterborough Regional College every Thursday to study for an NVQ Level Two as part of his joinery course.
The college was so impressed by the youngster that they nominated him for the national SkillBuild competition. Run by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), it is the largest multi-trade competition in the country for construction trainees and apprentices, covering ten craft occupations.