Apprentice of the year North East 2011

An apprentice from Wallsend is celebrating after being named as one of the UK’s top apprentices.
Reece Hall, aged 17, beat hundreds of entrants to be crowned the North East Young Apprentice of the Year. Reece is an apprentice bricklayer for house builder Barratt North East and is currently working at Elba Park in Houghton-le-Spring. He began his Apprenticeship in September last year, with Newcastle College and CITB-ConstructionSkills delivering his training.
Despite struggling at school, Reece has turned his life around and become a skilled and highly valued member of the team at Barratt. He impressed the regional award judges with his enthusiasm and desire to succeed – always willing to take on new challenges and constantly contributing new solutions to improve efficiency.
Reece is delighted by his Awards success and said: “My Apprenticeship has given me a fantastic career opportunity and has also been extremely beneficial to my personal development. I have gained so many new skills and am learning more all the time. I feel like a really valued member of the team at Barratt and am thriving working alongside more experienced members of the team, who are more than happy to pass on their knowledge, but who are also willing to listen to my ideas.
“As well as developing skills in my area of specialism, I have also gained experience and knowledge of all aspects of the building trade, which will stand me in good stead for the future and hopefully help me to achieve my ambition of becoming a site manager one day.”
Organised by the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS), the awards are designed to celebrate the achievements of apprentices and the businesses that employ them.
John Wayman, director for the NAS in the North East, said: “The Awards are a great opportunity to give our best employers and brightest young apprentices the credit they deserve. Reece excelled in his Apprenticeship and is an excellent role model to others. He has a very bright future ahead of him and I would like to congratulate him on his success and wish him every success in the national final.”
The National Apprenticeship Awards 2011 received a record number of applications with over 1,600 entries – an increase of over 25% on last year’s awards. The regional winners will be invited to an Oscar-style Awards ceremony in London, on the 29 June 2011, when those selected as the national winners will be announced.
Pictured: Brian Myers, ConstructionSkills; Reece Hall; Paul Taylor, Newcastle College