The overall winner will be decided through a combination of a public vote and an expert panel of judges. Online voting is open until October 15 and you can vote for Samuel now at European Alliance for Apprenticeship Awards. The winner will be announced at an awards ceremony in Helsinki, Finland during European Vocational Skills Week (14-18 October 2019).
Samuel said he was ‘speechless’ when he heard he’d made the final.
“I never expected to be nominated for this award so I am completely shocked and speechless when I heard I’d made the final two. It is such an exciting opportunity to be able to travel to Helsinki and represent the College on an international level.
“I have learned an incredible amount from my tutor, Ian Forsythe and my employer, Mark Pollock. My classmates have been really supportive as well and all this support has been invaluable,” he said.
Being shortlisted for the awards ceremony in Finland is the latest in a string of achievements for the Aghadowey apprentice who was Northern Ireland Young Apprentice of the Year in 2018 and winner of a gold medal at the UK National Finals of WorldSkills UK LIVE 2018. As a gold medallist, Samuel has been invited back to WorldSkills UK LIVE 2019 to compete for a place in Squad UK and an opportunity to represent the UK at the International WorldSkills competition in Shanghai, China, in 2021. Samuel will be joined by nine other Northern Regional College students at WorldSkills UK LIVE finals in Birmingham this November.
Earlier this year, Samuel represented the College on a visit to South Africa to learn more about the work of apprentices there.
Ian Forsythe, Carpentry lecturer at the College, said:
“Getting through to the final of the European Alliance for Apprenticeships Awards is the icing on the cake on what has been a fantastic 12 months for Samuel. He has worked incredibly hard to achieve this success and his dedication and hours of extra practice have been paid dividends.
“Samuel is a fantastic role model for the other apprentices who really look up to him. He is a real credit to the youth of today and I wish him every success in the finals,” he said.
Join the conversation in the lead up to the European Alliance for Apprenticeships Awards on social media by using #EUVocationalSkills or #DiscoverYourTalent.