I was absolutely buzzing when I heard that Amec Foster Wheeler wanted to put me forward for this award. To me, I just do my job and get on with it so it’s nice to know that someone has taken note of my work.
The award submission asked for examples of my achievements and the impact I had made; therefore, I had to think back about all the work I’d done.
One of my proudest moments was working on a maintenance workscope to replace 97 spools of corroded pipe. This isn’t something that would normally be given to a junior piping designer. However, I managed to successfully replace 96 of 97 spools; the remaining spool was replaced shortly afterwards. Completing my bit on time means that I played my part in delivering excellence to our client. We successfully completed the shutdown on time and without any HSSE incident.
When I was told the ECITB had selected me as Apprentice of the Year for the offshore region, I couldn’t believe it. I thought it was a joke! Even when I saw a copy of the letter, part of me was still thinking it wasn’t real. As a regional winner, I now qualify for the ECITB’s National Apprentice of the Year Award along with seven other regional winners. The winner will be announced in June.
I can honestly say that if I don’t win the National Apprentice Award, then it won’t bother me at all. I’m thrilled that I’ve won for the offshore region. My colleagues are probably fed up with me going me on and on about it!