Award Winning Leeds Apprentices Are On The Road To Success

Six apprentices from Leeds College of Building have been rewarded for their achievements in the field of highways and transportation.

The Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation (CIHT) Yorkshire & Humber Awards recognise high achievers who have played a significant role in notable projects, as well as those who have demonstrated a positive impact in highways or transportation in the region.

Georgia Woloszczak and Thomas Coleman won the coveted titles of Apprentice of the Year and Young Professional of the Year, respectively.

Also in the Apprentice of the Year category, Joel Moore was highly commended, whilst Stuart Hirst and Henri Grimbley were commended for their entries too. Scott Goodall was also shortlisted as a finalist in the Young Professional of the Year category.

Georgia who is from Leeds and works for international engineering solutions firm WSP says: “I have worked on numerous rail projects, including the proposed White Rose Rail Station in Leeds, as well as contributing to several strategic modelling projects, including Highways England’s scheme to upgrade the A1 in the North East. I have also assisted with the preparation and writing of a multi-million pound bid and have been rewarded with the Employee of the Month Award.  I have exceeded all of my work related targets often before the deadlines, and my project managers have been really complimentary of my work. I am over the moon with the award win, it really means a lot to get recognised by my Institution, as well as receiving great support from WSP and Leeds College of Building. All the hard work has paid off – and I can’t wait to enter more awards as I continue with my studies and career.”

Thomas who is from Oulton in Leeds and works for integrated highway engineering provider A-one+ says: “My work involves the day to day management of 500km of the region’s motorway and trunk road network. I am both the Geographic Information System (GIS) Champion and AutoCAD Champion, responsible for identifying any issues, updating and managing the systems, and keeping them in line with industry standards.

“I have also achieved the highest possible grade in every assignment throughout my HNC/HND at college. I intend to replicate this in my final academic year and am also studying a Level-5 NVQ Diploma in Construction Management alongside my HND, combining academic and practical, work based knowledge. I am delighted to receive recent recognition for the regional Young Professional of the Year 2017, it has been the highlight of my career to date, and I am now looking forward to the National Presentation Awards final in London next month.”

Lecturer Vicky Patterson from Leeds College of Building says: “To have six students singled out in these competitive awards is great news for each of the individuals, but also the College as a whole. We are very proud of what they have achieved, and they are all great examples of what hard work and dedication to the industry can result in.”

Five of the students are enrolled on Civil Engineering courses at Leeds College of Building and Georgia is currently enrolled on the trailblazing Transport Planning Course, which was the first of its kind to launch in the UK just last year. Vicky adds: “Our students will be responsible for shaping highways and transportation schemes for the next twenty years, so it’s an incredibly exciting time for everyone involved. These recent award wins are a further endorsement of what we are delivering at Leeds College of Building and demonstrate how we are leaders in the field in this specialist area.”