In a night filled with celebration and recognition, ten young apprentices emerged as the rising stars of the energy industry at the annual Drax Group Apprentice Awards. The event was run by Drax Group, a power company.
The ceremony, held near Selby in North Yorkshire, brought together apprentices from across the company’s UK operations, highlighting their exceptional contributions and dedication to their respective fields.
The standout winner of the evening was Josh Smith, 28, hailing from Oban in Scotland, who received acclaim for his outstanding work at Drax’s iconic Cruachan Power Station. Josh expressed his gratitude, stating, “The knowledge and skills acquired here have prepared me well for future challenges. I look forward to applying what I’ve learned and continuing to progress in my career.”
The Drax Group also celebrated winners from its North Yorkshire operations. This included Shane Panizales, who was named Business Apprentice of the Year in Cyber Security (Year 3, Level 5-7); Erin Rodger, who picked up a Business Apprentice of the Year in Human Resources title; and Jack Woods, who secured the title of Technical Apprentice of the Year (Year 1).
The Drax Group’s four-year craft and technical apprenticeship initiative provides new recruits with opportunities to gain skills in mechanical, electrical, and control and instrumentation. Additionally, apprenticeships are offered in HR, cybersecurity, IT, facilities, and network security.
Ian Kinnaird, Drax’s Scottish assets director and one of the hosts for the evening, commended the efforts of all the apprentices. In his speech, he emphasised the importance of the apprenticeship program in providing young individuals with a crucial first step in their careers.
Kinnaird stated, “Our apprentices have unique talents and bring new perspectives that we can all learn from. All of the award winners and nominees should be extremely proud of themselves, and we look forward to seeing how their careers progress here at Drax.”