Above: Andrew Finlayson, Type 26 Detail Designer, Shipyard Apprentice of the Year, receiving the Queen’s Silver Medal.
Courtesy BAE Systems

The Worshipful Company of Shipwrights has awarded its 2018 Company Prize to BAE Systems Submarines, while two talented apprentices from the Naval Ships business have won the top two prizes in its Queen’s Silver Medal Competition.

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Andrew Finlayson, Type 26 Detail Designer, was named as Shipyard Apprentice of the Year, receiving the Queen’s Silver Medal, while Lee Steen, Fabricator, won the Bronze Medal.
 
The Glasgow-based apprentices and six apprentices from Submarines were shortlisted from over 100 candidates to undertake a week-long course and assessment led by specialist tutors at Kielder Water in Northumberland which involved various team building challenges, interviews, presentations, raft building as well as a 24hr expedition. Both were then selected to compete in the final six where they took part in face-to-face interviews at the Shipwrights’ offices in Ironmongers’ Hall, London in London.
 
Andrew said: “It is a real honour and privilege to have won such a prestigious award and I am very proud of my achievement. My family are over the moon and the response I have had from the business has been superb. I have received a lot of help throughout my apprenticeship and am grateful to all of those whom I have worked with”.
 
Andrew Wolstenholme, Group Managing Director Maritime and Land said: “Our apprentices are a vital part of our workforce.  We are delighted to receive recognition for our commitment to investing in skills and ensuring apprentices are well trained and supported. It is a testament to the high quality and impact of our schemes and to the dedication and skill of our early careers trainers.  We are also extremely proud of Andrew and Lee’s achievements. They are both high performers, have outstanding conduct and total commitment. They make excellent role models for aspiring apprentices.”
 
Richard Cole-Mackintosh, Clerk to the Worshipful Company of Shipwrights said: “The Company Prize is awarded to the employing company deemed to be most supportive of their apprentices and is based on the enthusiasm and ability demonstrated by their apprentices during the competition, along with the apprentices’ personal feedback.  As always, all of the candidates from BAE Systems’ were very impressive and it was extremely clear that the company invests greatly in their development.”
 
The Worshipful Company of Shipwrights was established over 700 years ago to safeguard the quality of shipbuilding and now promotes excellence in every aspect of the maritime field including the promotion and support of education and youth development programmes in the sector.
 
BAE Systems invests approximately £90 million per year in education, skills and early careers activities and has around 2,000 apprentices in training across its UK businesses at any given time, with circa 95% on average securing permanent roles each year.
 
In addition to this latest win, BAE Systems was recently named #1 employer of apprentices in the UK on review website Rate My Apprenticeship and won the Macro Employer of the Year Award and the Recruitment Excellence Award at the 2018 National Apprenticeship Awards, recognising the Company’s dedication to delivering high-quality apprenticeships.