Tom Crowe, a 20-year old BAE Systems apprentice from the company’s submarine business, has been named ‘BAE Systems Apprentice of the Year’.
BAE Systems’ proprietary awards recognise excellence in the workplace and academic study, and an award is also given for work in the community.
Tom joined BAE Systems in 2008, completed his apprenticeship in October 2011 and is now studying for a foundation degree in Business Management at Furness College with the Company’s support. He works in a steel-work team on Audacious, the fourth boat of the Astute Class of submarines being built for the Royal Navy at Barrow.
Mr Crowe said: “I’m shocked! I really didn’t expect to win because you are competing against the best of the best across the country.
“I’m very proud to have won. It is such a prestigious award because you are competing against so many other apprentices who also deserve to win.”
A further eight awards were made with apprentices from Lancashire winning four awards. From BAE Samlesbury, Sam Andrews won the Community Achievement Award and Nichola Mitchell won the Business Administration Achievement Award. Jenny Westworth from Warton won both the Academic Commitment and Technical Achievement Awards.
From Brough in Yorkshire, Stephanie Steels won the Craft Mechanical Achievement Award and Dave Waslin won the Business Unit Achievement Award.
John Church, a BAE Systems apprentice from RAF Marham won the Craft Electrical Achievement Award and David Crawford from Govan in Scotland won the Craft Fabrication Achievement award.
Presenting the awards, Nigel Whitehead, BAE Systems group managing director, added: “Our 1,000 apprentices are critical in ensuring the Company maintains a pool of engineering and business talent. Many of BAE Systems’ senior managers started as apprentices and I’d thoroughly recommend the training programme as a career option.”
BAE Systems is one of the largest employers of apprentices in the UK with 1,000 in training at any one time. In 2012 it will be recruiting a further 265 apprentices across the UK.
