Talented apprentices recognised at Swansea Bay Construction Support Group Awards

Talented young apprentices from John Weaver and ASW Property Services were the overall winners at a construction awards event covering Swansea Bay held last week, which also raised more than £2,000 for local charity Hands Up for Downs.

The Swansea Bay Construction Support Group’s 2022 awards ceremony took place on 7 July at the Village Hotel, Swansea, to support and recognise the achievements of new entrants, apprentices and future talent within the construction industry in the South Wales region.

The ceremony, which was hosted by Swansea legend Kev Johns and included a three-course meal, was also part of an overall objective to promote the construction industry’s image and showcase the benefits of considering the construction industry as a career path, and what skills individuals can gain from this profession.

The evening saw awards presented to nominated apprentices from member companies of the Swansea Bay Construction Support Group, including: J.G. Hale Construction; ASW Property Services; CJ Construction; John Weaver; Andrew Scott; Craftsman Flooring; and Green Hat Consulting. Awards were also given to the Best Overall Apprentice and Best Technical Apprentice – won by Kim Smitham from John Weaver and Dalton Brown from ASW Property Services.

The awards ceremony was sponsored by Alpha Safety Training, PCR Global and Barry Training Services, who presented awards to all the winners on the evening, along with Councillor Andrea Lewis, Joint Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member, Climate Change and Service Transformation, Swansea Council. The event featured a raffle and auction to raise funds for the charity Hands Up for Downs.

The Swansea Bay Construction Support Group (SBCSG) is a collaboration of diverse contractors, located within the Neath, Port Talbot and Swansea region. It is a grant funded, not for profit organisation, that is committed to providing cost-effective training and development opportunities to its members.

During the evening, more than £2,000 was raised for local charity Hands Up for Downs through an auction and raffle. This support group brings families, parents, carers and children with Down Syndrome together to share advice and support, and as a group ensure that children living with Down Syndrome are given access to services they need.

Anthony Thomas, chairman of the Swansea Bay Construction Support Group, said:

“The awards evening was a fantastic success – it brought young talent together to be recognised for all of their hard work and dedication to the industry. We must celebrate these successes and support their journey. Our apprentices are just as responsible as our fully trained staff members for keeping the homes and buildings of our customers safe, and we are thankful to them for choosing the construction industry as a career path.”

“The Swansea Bay Construction Support Group Awards has allowed us to not only reward the hard working and dedicated apprentices who work for our members but has also allowed us to spread the word and positivity about the opportunities available to other young individuals who are weighing up their options.”

Gemma Mineur, training officer at Swansea Bay Construction Support Group, comments:

“It was a pleasure to organise the second Swansea Bay Construction Support Group Awards to showcase the achievements of local people beginning one of many career paths available in the construction industry. We look forward to next year’s awards to again welcome and celebrate future talent within the industry.”

Winner Kim Smitham said:

“I am absolutely over the moon with winning the award, which took me by surprise to say the least. I have loved the whole experience so far; both Gower College and John Weaver have been amazing. I have a great mentor and I work with great people on site. I am so proud of myself for finally doing this and I know my children and family are too.”

Winner Dalton Brown said:

“I was very proud to have been nominated but to have won the Award for Best Technical Apprentice 2022 was amazing. I am very grateful for the opportunities and support that ASW Property Services have provided me over the last five years. I am now very excited to see how I can grow within the company and where my future in construction will take me.”