This year's Building Services Engineering Industry Training Awards were presented at the Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff, on 3 February.
The First Year Heating and Ventilating Industrial/Commercial Apprentice Award was presented to Rhys Evans of Laing O'Rourke, Cardiff, and sponsored by Pegler Yorkshire.

Victoria Hackett of F P Hurley & Sons, Bridgend, Glamorgan won the Second Year Heating and Ventilating Industrial/Commercial Apprentice Award, which was also sponsored by Pegler Yorkshire.

There were joint winners of the Third Year Heating and Ventilating Industrial/Commercial Apprentice Award, sponsored by Drain Center, part of Wolseley UK. Adam Jury of Lorne Stewart and Rhys Yates of CMB Engineering, both of Cardiff, shared the title.

Chris Carmody of Whitehead Building Services, Newport, Gwent, clinched the Fourth Year Heating and Ventilating Industrial/Commercial Apprentice Award, also sponsored by Drain Center.

The Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Apprentice Award was presented to joint winners Kyle Engstrom of Four Seasons Maintenance, Cardiff, and Dave Thomas of T&J Installations, Merthyr Tydfil, Mid Glamorgan, and sponsored by Cardiff and Vale College.

Eleanor Davies of M&M's Electrical, Swansea, won the Electrical Installation Apprentice Award, sponsored by Cardiff and Vale College.

The Building Services Engineer Award was presented to Keiran Swift of Ecofit Energy Systems, Pontyclun, Mid Glamorgan, and sponsored by Pier Consulting.

Also sponsored by Pier Consulting was the Adult Learner Award, which went to James Pearson of CMB Engineering, Cardiff.

The Association was represented at the event - which was hosted by Bob Lane of Roperhurst, Barry, Vale of Glamorgan - by immediate past president Sue Sharp, chief executive, Roderick Pettigrew, and Steven Leighton, chief operating officer of managing agent and B&ES subsidiary Building Engineering Services Training Ltd.

In her address, Mrs Sharp acknowledged that the building engineering services sector does seem to be tentatively emerging from 'the longest and deepest recession many of us have known'.

She added: 'And it does seem that, in the not-too-distant future, we shall find ourselves complaining once again of skills shortages, and of a lack of competent individuals - at every level of the workforce - able to allow us fully to capitalise on the improving commercial environment.'

Mrs Sharp concluded by insisting that despite the difficulties most businesses had had to endure in recent times there is a bright future ahead for the building engineering services sector and for the talented young people it employs.