We’ve all seen it in the news, heard it on-site or in the office: “The construction industry is facing a shortage of skilled labour”. While this challenge persists across the community, it fills us with pride to showcase one of our own who consistently goes above and beyond the call of duty. With a passion for professional development and embracing new skills, we had the pleasure of awarding Mechanical Apprentice, Riley Davies our 2023 Apprentice of Year! Riley has demonstrated remarkable dedication, skill, and passion throughout his Mechanical Apprenticeship so far.
Building Services Labour Manager, Richard Harris, highlighted Riley’s exceptional contributions:
“Riley’s achievements for 2023 have been exceptional. From delivering LD4 as a key team member on the mechanical installation to himself becoming fully qualified as a mechanical craftsperson with a distinction.”
Congratulations to Joe Richmond and Josh King who were also shortlisted for the award!
Richard added “It was a tight call between 3 final candidates as to who would be crowned apprentice of the year 2023. We finally agreed that Riley just edged it, this was for his commitment to the LD4 installation team and his dedication to his final year as an apprentice in which the distinction says it all.
In a Q&A with Riley, we gained first-hand insight into his journey with Gratte Brothers so far:
What made you consider an apprentice with the Gratte Brothers?
“I knew Gratte Brothers was a well-established firm which has a history of long-serving employees, which assured me I was joining a company that are good to work for.”
What has been the most challenging part of the apprenticeship and why?
“The most challenging part of my apprenticeship would have been being thrown into the deep end and working by myself for the first time. Although this is the best way to learn and gain experience it was the biggest challenge I faced.”
What has been the most rewarding part of the apprenticeship and why?
“It would have to be recently winning Apprentice of the Year, after what’s seemed like a long apprenticeship with COVID stretching it out, the award made it seem like the hard work and commitment had paid off.”
What advice would you give to people just embarking on an apprenticeship?
“Go into every day with an open mind and a willingness to learn from your colleagues, maintain good time keeping and don’t be afraid to work alone on tasks.”
Any other comments? Or, any plans for the future?
“Thank you to all the people who helped me learn during my time as an apprentice, and I hopefully look forward to a good long career with Gratte Brothers.”
Riley has an incredibly bright future ahead of him. We wish him all the best as he embarks on the next chapter of his career. We are incredibly fortunate to have such amazing young talent within our business, and take pride in empowering our employees. Well done Riley, Joe and Josh: we look forward to witnessing your continued growth.
