Joshua Williams named finalist at the CITB Apprenticeship Awards

Joshua Williams, a past bricklaying apprentice with Y Prentis, has been named a finalist in the Inspirational Apprentice category at the CITB Apprenticeship Awards.

Josh, aged 24 from Tylorstown, joined Y Prentis as a bricklaying apprentice in July 2017. During his apprenticeship he studied towards his diploma and NVQ Level 2 in Brickwork at Cardiff and the Vale College while placed with host contractors Morgan Sindall and Jehu Group. Josh successfully completed his apprenticeship in August 2019 and is now a qualified bricklayer working with APL Building Services.

Every site manager Josh worked with throughout his apprenticeships commented on his great work ethic, saying that he would be the first person on site and always demonstrated great enthusiasm for his work. He always showed a willingness to learn, putting in the extra hours when necessary and seizing opportunities to push himself where possible.

Dafydd Langley-Noel, Assistant Programme Manager at Y Prentis, said, “When Josh started his apprenticeship, he quickly earned himself a good reputation on site. Working with a team who were very complimentary of his work ethic and attitude, we were asked whether he would join them to work on another site. Josh has been an exemplary apprentice and we’re very proud of what he has achieved. I couldn’t think of anyone more deserving to be a CITB finalist and wish Josh all the best.”

Last summer, he embarked on a once in a lifetime opportunity to go on a 10-day trip to Kenya to build a home for local people. He had to overcome a number of challenges; from coping with the physical demands of working in high temperatures to learning how to communicate with the local people who spoke Swahili.

Chris Mallet, Habitat for Humanity GB Team Leader, said, “Josh was fantastic on the build. He very quickly came out of his shell, completely embraced the whole experience and worked incredibly hard. To go on a Habitat open build at any age is a brave thing to do, let alone when it’s your first time travelling overseas, and Josh deserves every credit for taking it all in his stride and getting so much from it. It was an absolute pleasure to have him on the team.”

Read more about Josh's apprenticeship journey in his blog post here.

The winners of the CITB Apprenticeship Awards will be announced at an award ceremony held at the Merchant Taylors’ Hall in London on Thursday 7 November.