Ben Brown, a 2nd year Electrical Apprentice at PAC Group, has made it through to the semi-finals of the national Screwfix Trade Apprentice Competition. Ben, from Carrickfergus, was up against stiff competition from 2,500 other applicants and has made it into the top 30, with the top 10 finalists due to be announced in April 2021.
Ben is studying towards an NVQ Level 3 in Electrotechnical Installation at the Northern Regional College. He has been selected as a semi-finalist following an initial application process that outlined how he demonstrates a real passion for his trade, determination to succeed, and how he is already going above and beyond the call of duty for his college, employer, and customers.
Ben, who is delighted to have made it this far in the competition, said:
"I hope to make it through to the national final in April, so I can show the judges how dedicated I am to my career in the trade. The prize bundle would be amazing to help me set up for my future."
The top prize is worth £10,000 and includes a career-boosting £5,000 worth of tools, a £3,000 training budget, and £2,000 of technology.
The thirty semi-finalists will now submit a video, or participate in an interview, to try and win a place at April’s two-day virtual final event. During the final, participants will get the opportunity to learn important business skills and will be able to share their experiences and ambitions as an Apprentice with a panel of industry-leading judges. The panel includes representatives from NICEIC, CIPHE, FMB, and a previous winner of the Screwfix Top Tradesperson award.
Simon Jackson, Screwfix Customer and Digital Director, said:
“From over 2,500 entries, our semi-finalists have done incredibly well to get this far. Apprenticeships are vital to the construction trade and invaluable to the UK economy and each year the standard of entries in our competition is exceptional. I’d like to wish everyone through to this stage the best of luck!”
PAC Group Operations Director, Iain Parkhill, congratulated Ben on his achievement in reaching the semi-final. He said:
"From the very start of his Apprenticeship, Ben has consistently worked hard and performed exceptionally well both in his college programme and at work. We're very proud of Ben's achievements and see a great future for him at PAC Group. All at PAC wish him the best of luck in the Screwfix competition semi-final."
