Northampton engineering apprentice wins top prize at awards ceremony

A young engineering apprentice from Northampton has won a top prize at Drax Group’s annual apprentice awards event in recognition of his achievements over the past year.

Jake Farr, aged 20 from Northampton has been awarded Business Apprentice of the Year for his work in Customer Operations at Opus Energy, one of Drax’s energy supply businesses.

Jake’s colleagues praised him for having an excellent attitude to work, always being eager to learn and demonstrating great teamwork.

During his speech, Jake said: “This year I was working in a relatively new department which was challenging at times but has really improved my confidence. I’d like to thank all the people who have coached me and enabled me to reach my full potential.”

The coronavirus pandemic meant that this year’s awards event was held virtually, but none of the glamour and excitement was missing as apprentices from across the Drax Group were recognised for their efforts overcoming the unprecedented challenges that Covid-19 brought.

Mike Maudsley, Drax’s UK Portfolio Generation Director, who hosted the event, said: “Supporting education and skills across our operations is essential for a green recovery, and Drax is committed to championing young people and supporting them in their early careers. Covid-19 has meant that it has been a challenging year for everyone at Drax, but our apprentices rose to the challenge, bringing enthusiasm and fresh ideas to the business.”

For the first time this year Drax’s award winners include apprentices from its hydro power stations in Scotland and B2B energy supply businesses, as well as engineering roles.

This year’s winners were:

Craft Apprentice of the Year (Year 2) and the Paul Chambers Outstanding Achievement Award – Lewis Marran, age 22 from Doncaster

Craft Apprentice of the Year (Year 1) – Elliot Hand, age 25 from York

Craft Apprentice of the Year (Year 3) – Ben Scott, age 20 from Brough

Craft Apprentice of the Year (Scotland) – Gregor Fraser, age 20 from Lenzie

Business Apprentice of the Year (Non-Customer) – Ben Senior, age 21 from York

Business Apprentice of the Year (Customer) – Jake Farr, age 20 from Northampton

Uniper Engineering Academy Award – Sam Brown, age 17 from Scunthorpe

Drax’s long-running apprenticeship scheme is part of its commitment to STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) education, ensuring the workforce across the region has the skills needed to support a post-covid economic recovery.

The craft apprenticeship scheme gives new recruits the opportunity to gain skills and expertise by working alongside highly qualified engineers. It is a four-year programme, and specialises in three engineering disciplines: Mechanical, Electrical and Control & Instrumentation.