The Golden Apple Awards, recognising excellence in education, took place at the Greenhill Hotel, in Wigton, on Thursday, October 12. Among the categories was Best Apprentice

Judges in the Best Apprentice category struggled to choose from four impressive finalists. Aaron Groggins joined Sellafield Ltd in January 2021 following a 10-month period on furlough with a company who subsequently closed their West Cumbrian office, effectively making him redundant. He went on to successfully complete all elements of the level 3 standard ahead of schedule, gaining a distinction in his HNC, a double-grade D*D in his BTEC level 3 in operations and maintenance and outstanding feedback from Lakes College.
Among other accolades, Carlisle College’s Deniss Fridenbergs has won British Gypsum Apprentice of the Year, and since joining Energy Coast UTC as a teaching assistant apprentice in September 2022, Stephanie Armstrong has proved an asset.
But on the night, the award went to civil degree apprentice Joe McCartney who, in 2020, was set a challenge of transforming the management and control of the drainage network at Sellafield. His nominator said: “What Joe saw was an old-fashioned and inefficient system, but he knew exactly what to do to rectify it. The key to transforming this out-of-date paper-based, time-consuming system was to gain full control in-house and to bring it into the 21st century.  
“Joe took on the challenge over a two-year period, carrying out surveys to configure baseline information, and then worked in collaboration with Sellafield’s mapping analysts to develop a new enterprise management system that would streamline the maps and GIS data. 
“The creation of the management system in the form of an GIS portal app has not only been invaluable to the day-to-day working of the site, making it quicker and easier to get real time information in the palm of your hand, but it also has given Joe future ambitions to improve other areas of the business. 
“Joe has proved that through empowering young innovative minds, business efficiencies and improvements can be made through the introduction of the latest up-to-date technology.
"Joe has gone from strength to strength during his apprenticeship and has driven improvements from day one. He is an asset to Sellafield and continually sets standards that others enrolled on the SL degree apprentice scheme should aspire to.”
Joe said: “I’m dead chuffed to win the award. Obviously I’m really proud to represent the department and the company and getting recognition for what you do is always nice."
When asked what it was like working at Sellafield, he said: “I absolutely love it. The mentorship I have - honestly my line manager he has been the best. I probably couldn’t do it without him.
“There's challenge and the opportunity for innovation and I like the opportunity to think and express your own thoughts and the opportunity for autonomous working as well. It’s really good training.”