The Apprentice of the Year Awards 2007 is a nationwide search for the cream of the construction industry’s talent, with a £1,000 top prize. The competition is run in conjunction with the FMB’s Master Builder of the Year Awards and is open to any UK apprentice in the construction industry, not just those who are working for FMB member firms.

Last year’s Apprentice of the Year, 19-year old Sean Facey was an apprentice for small family firm S&M Marsh. With his exceptional carpentry skills, project management and a ‘can do’ attitude, Sean won the top prize of £1,000 and his training officer and boss each won a luxury all inclusive weekend break at a Paramount Hotel.

Apprenticeships offered by quality building firms ensure that Britain builds a high standard of craftsmen and women for the future. The FMB is determined to reward these, often overlooked, talented young people, whose hard work, outstanding ability and ‘can do’ attitude provides a valuable contribution to the businesses they work for.

Richard Diment, director general of the FMB sai: “The construction industry is the UK’s largest industry and it struggles to maintain a skilled, qualified workforce. The Apprentice of the Year Award not only offers the chance to put talented and deserving young people from the industry in the spotlight, but may also encourage other young people to consider a career in one of the construction trades."

Nominations
The FMB is seeking nominations for The Apprentice of the Year 2007 from employers, customers, tutors or members of the ConstructionSkills regional teams.

So whether you are a talented apprentice or you run a building firm that prides itself on training new recruits, you can find more details and download an entry form or by calling 0870 162 0942. The closing date for entries is July 31 and the winners will receive their awards at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London, on November 8 2007.

Max Hamps, Apprenticeships Director at ConstructionSkills, said:"The industry seeks over 87,000 new recruits a year, so it is vital that we continue to promote a positive image, encourage quality young people to take up careers in construction and show them the range of amazing jobs on offer.'"

ConstructionSkills and Screwfix Direct sponsor the Apprentice of the Year category. Entries for this category do not have to feature the biggest or most complicated projects; they just need to show that the apprentice has used a high level of skill in their chosen trade.

Master Builder of the Year Awards
The Master Builder of the Year Awards 2007 is the FMB’s annual search to find the best builders in Britain. It is open to any UK builder, from a large commercial firm to a sole trader - but the customer must nominate the builder. The Awards celebrate both exceptional standards of workmanship and customer service. There are eight categories and the winners from each of the eleven FMB regions go through to the UK finals. The overall winning builder will be awarded the title of “Master Builder of the Year 2007” and their choice of a Nissan Light Commercial Vehicle worth up to £20,000. Their client will receive a £3,000 holiday. Each of the category winning builders and clients receives a luxury weekend break for two at a Paramount Hotel of their choice.

Master Builder of the Year 2007 categories:
Master Builder of the Year - The title will be awarded to one of the national winners of the following categories.

Category One - New Homes: New homes built by a builder who constructs fewer than 50 new homes a year.

Category Two - Small Renovation Projects: Professional residential/domestic restoration, refurbishment or extension costing less than £100,000.

Category Three - Medium Renovation Projects: Professional residential/domestic restoration, refurbishment or extension costing between £100,000 and £300,000.

Category Four - Large Renovation Projects: Professional residential/domestic restoration, refurbishment or extension costing more than £300,000.

Category Five - Commercial: New build or refurbishment of a commercial building costing less than £3 million.

Category Six - Energy Efficiency: Project that demonstrates the best use of energy efficiency features in housing, designed to save energy, reduce costs and the overall environmental impact.

Category Seven - Waste Minimisation: Builder who demonstrates the adoption of best practice, designed to minimise waste and disposal costs, increase resource efficiency and increase profits.

Category Eight - Heavenly Builder: Nominated by satisfied customers of firms whose annual turnover is under £300,000.

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Susie Hughes
The Editor © Hardhatter 2007