Dan Lapworth, apprentice air conditioning engineer at Cooltherm, has been named Apprentice of the Year at the ACR News Awards 2017.

He said: “It feels good to have won, I really wasn’t expecting it. I had various different jobs after school, so to come back and do well at college, and be recognised for it, is good. It’s going to be an interesting thing to put on my CV and hopefully give me an edge in future employment.”

Dan, 28, joined Eastleigh College to study Refrigeration and Air Conditioning in 2014, after previously working in various different trades. He believes that his breadth of previous experience has been beneficial, as he is more confident in working with pipes and electrics.

He also thinks that his age has worked in his favour during his studies: “Because I’m a bit older, I’m more motivated to get ahead on my work. I’ve passed every exam first time and averaged a high score in each one.”

Dan’s advice to other apprentice air conditioning engineers is: “As soon as you’ve got a job you can use for your portfolio, get all the information together and jot it down. If you save it up, you might have five jobs to do at once and it’s not fresh in your mind. Doing it bit by bit makes it more manageable.”

In addition to winning ACR News Apprentice of the Year, Dan was on the list of nominees for the ACR Trainee of the Year award last year. His story proves that it’s never too late to start a successful career.

To find out more about the air conditioning and refrigeration courses offered at Eastleigh College visit www.eastleigh.ac.uk or call 023 8091 1299.