AN apprentice plant maintenance fitter from Daviot Group has scooped a prestigious prize to add to his growing list of accolades.
Steven Reid (22) was recently named Scottish Civil Engineering Apprentice of the Year by the Scottish Building Apprenticeship and Training Council (SBATC). The award is the latest triumph for the Avoch man, who was the Scottish regional winner in the UK-wide “Stars of the Future” awards from the National Construction College (NCC) and was also named best second year plant maintenance student for the NCC in Scotland.
He collected his award at a special ceremony at the Scottish Parliament after his employers nominated him in recognition of his “high standards of work, attention to detail and consistent dedication to his on-site and college work”.
Steven joined Daviot Group, which recently rebranded from Daviot Farms Ltd, in 2012 as part of their plans to develop youngsters in the Highlands and build a team of talented home-grown plant maintenance team.
Charlie Veitch, chief operating officer at Daviot Group, said, “We are very proud of Steven, who has really made the best of every opportunity that has been put in front of him.
“Steven works on a huge variety of jobs from vans, jeeps and heavy goods vehicles to a whole range of small and large pieces of plant, and the effort he puts into completing every job to a high standard is commendable.
“Investing in apprenticeships is a key strategy for Daviot Group as with over eight million pounds worth of plant based projects across the UK, it is vital that Daviot Group has strong, highly trained maintenance crew both here at our depot in Inverness and available to go on the road and attend vehicles and plant where necessary.
“We currently have a number apprentices working for Daviot Group and we are looking to expand that further in 2016 to support our continued growth as a leading specialist engineer company.”
Commenting on his award, Steven said, “I was delighted to attend the ceremony at the Scottish Parliament, and to win the award was the icing on the cake. I would just like to thank Daviot Group who have supported me through my practical and education learning. It’s a real honour to be recognised in this way.”
Steven attends the NCC College in Glasgow in four-week blocks, spending the rest of his time at Daviot’s Inverness headquarters. He has now completed his SVQ III in Construction, Plant Maintenance and Repairs.
Now in their 16th year, the SBATC Apprenticeship Awards are organised by the Scottish Building Apprenticeship and Training Council (SBATC) to recognise the talents, skills and abilities of construction apprentices working across Scotland. The awards assess candidates according to their practical and academic ability alongside other important skills such as organisation, communication and the ability to perform in a team.
