CRC student announced as BESA Apprentice of the Year 2022

June 10, 2022

Cambridge Regional College student, Joe Smith has been announced as the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) Apprentice of the Year in the category of Heating and Ventilation.

Early 2022, four CRC apprenticeship students were Internally interviewed for the BESA Awards with two, Joe Smith and Jay Naylor, being put forward for the Heating and Ventilation Award and Overall Apprentice Award 2022.

Following the interview process, Joe and Jay produced a reference for the BESA finalists judging panel and both were announced as finalists shortly after judging. In May 2022 the pair made their way to Newcastle to attend the BESA 2022 Awards ceremony.

The event was attended by the President of BESA and industry giants alongside 30 finalists, and their employers, from across the North-East region. The CRC duo were given the red-carpet treatment by employers Munro, who treated them to suits for the black tie event, alongside a hotel stay and food and drink throughout as the Munro team celebrated being finalists and hoped to be taking home a trophy or two.

There were five student awards in total, Heating and Ventilation Apprentice of the Year, Electrical Apprentice of the Year, HNC/ HND Building Services Apprentice of the Year, Facilities management and Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heat Pump Apprentice of the Year. In addition, there was an Overall Apprentice Award up for grabs and a Lifetime Award to celebrate services to the industry.

Joe Smith said: “I was expecting a room of hundreds of people, but it was actually quite an exclusive event and that got me thinking that maybe one of us could win. When I was announced as Heating and Ventilation Apprentice of the Year, I felt realty happy.

“Munro Building Services have been good to me. That coupled with the support from Gareth Bamford at CRC has been a huge contributor to my success. I am pleased that the hard work I have put in over the last four years has been recognised. It was a proud moment.”

Jay Naylor said: “It felt amazing that I had come close to winning in the category and coming second to my colleague is a great thing. It has been a real confidence boost. I didn’t realise we were up against so many people.”

Jack Munro, Mechanical Project Manager and mentor to Joe, commented:, “I am pleased for Joe. Munro put in a lot of time and commitment to the apprenticeship scheme and to see our Apprentices winning awards is clarification that what we are doing is working.”

Munro Operations Manager, Andrew Cocksedge, added: “Munro have changed the way they deliver the apprenticeship programme so that apprentices are mentored by Project Managers. Many of our Project Managers have worked their way up from the apprenticeship programme themselves meaning they are aware of the process and the work that goes into doing an apprenticeship with Munro. We have a good partnership with Cambridge Regional College and the PMs work closely with the Assessor, Gareth Bamford. We have also changed out recruitment process to allow us a longer lead time in recruiting apprentices, with vacancies going out in March ready for apprenticeship start dates in September.”