To congratulate our apprentice Class of 2021, we hosted a celebration dinner last Thursday, 3rd February, at Dalziel Park Hotel & Golf Club. After all their dedication and hard work over the past 4 years we were proud to acknowledge their success.
The Class of 2021 included Paul Croall (Ultrasonic Welder), Scott Livingstone (Development Technician), Keith Magilton (Buyer), Ross Mitchell (Supplier Quality Engineer), Michael Morris (Welder) & Lauren Wright (Electrical Design Engineer). With a special mention to Keith, being our second adult apprentice to complete the programme. He took the plunge 4 years ago and started a new career path, providing inspiration to us all! We established a separate programme for Keith due to the nature of his role, therefore he did not attend East Kilbride Group Training Association (EKGTA) with the other apprentices.
All apprentices attended the evening alongside their mentors, making it a great opportunity for everyone to get to know each other better.
David Elliot from EKGTA, where the apprentices undertook their dedicated training, also attended the celebration. He delivered a presentation, highlighting the training the apprentices completed over the past 4 years. It was great to see the different programmes the apprentices achieved to get to where they are now, showing the varied paths available. To fully mark their graduation, David showed us the apprentices on the first day of their programme, 4 years ago, which gave a few laughs!
An apprentice short film was also created by our Marketing team to show on the night, where we learned what the apprentices and their mentors really thought of one other! Paul Douglas, Managing Director, Rokbak, presented each of the apprentices with their certificate and a small gift to mark their graduation. Each year we dedicate an award to one apprentice who has gone above and beyond, deserving special recognition. From our 2021 graduates, Apprentice of the Year was awarded to Ross Mitchell for his outstanding performance and commitment at Rokbak, a member of the Volvo Group.
Apprentice of the Year 2021, Ross Mitchell.
After a difficult few years for the apprentices, and with many of them completing their program in early 2021 it was great to be able to finally come together and celebrate! Everyone had a wonderful evening full of laughter reflecting on the past 4 years. We look forward to our apprentices’ continued success in the coming years.
Our next apprentice intake begins in August 2022 and like previous years we will have a variety of programs available which lead to great career opportunities. If this sounds like something you would be interested in, please visit the EKGTA website for more information and steps on how to apply. For non-engineering related apprenticeships visit Apprenticeships.scot for details.