Tom Gregory of Prospero Facilities Services has been named Craft Apprentice of the Year in the Scottish HVACR Awards for Outstanding Achievement, during a ceremony held at the headquarters of B&ES (Building & Engineering Services Association) Scotland at Bush Estate, Midlothian.
Tom, who also came top in this year's Service and Maintenance Apprentice of the Year category, received his trophy - the David Kettles Cup - from B&ES president Bruce Bisset.
In introducing the awards, Mr Bisset reminded his audience that the sector had experienced yet another challenging year - so he was pleased to be able to report a small increase in the numbers of apprentices recruited across Scotland 'from around 90 last year to 100 this year'.
He said: 'I'd like to think that this shows a growing level of confidence among employers, which can only be good news for all of us in building engineering services. However, he acknowledged that 'we certainly won't be returning to previous levels of employment overnight'.
Mr Bisset continued: 'As I have said before, it's going to be a long, slow haul - but one which I know that we, as an industry, have the determination to see through.'
The Scottish Government's target was to deliver 25,000 modern apprenticeships annually - and he confirmed that his sector would be playing its part in this process. 'The young people we are here to honour today represent our future - in terms of innovation, technology, project management and the introduction of new ideas and new ways of working,' he said.
The other winners were:
Pipe Fitter Welder Apprentice of the Year: Max Thomas of EMTEC Group Ltd, Uddingston, Glasgow. Runner-up: Ross Donnelly of Bannantyne Ltd, Whitburn, West Lothian
Pipe Fitter Apprentice of the Year: Lee Cockburn of Taylor & Fraser Ltd, Paisley. Runner-up: Jordan Gilmour of James Frew Ltd, Stevenston, Ayrshire.
Service and Maintenance Apprentice of the Year: Tom Gregory of Prospero Facilities Services, Douglas, Isle of Man. Runner-up: Sinclair Bain of the Orkney Fishermen's Society, Stromness.
Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Apprentice of the Year: James Peffers of C&M Environmental Ltd, Balmore, Glasgow. Runner-up: Justin Cahill of KB Refrigeration, Cardonald, Glasgow.
Building Services Technician of the Year: Jordan Butler of RSP Consulting Engineers, Edinburgh. Runner-up: Rory Mortimer of the Edinburgh International Conference Centre.
The Scottish HVACR Awards for Outstanding Achievement were organised by B&ES subsidiary Building Engineering Services Training (BEST) Scotland.