Annual awards celebrate young talent

A joyous awards evening celebrated the very best up-and-coming construction talent in a special ceremony on Tuesday 16 July at Preston Vocational Centre (PVC), the charitable subsidiary of Community Gateway Association (CGA).

The awards – now in their fifteenth year – recognised PVC students’ incredible development and accomplishments, with many of the 14–19-year-olds obtaining their City & Guilds Level 1 Award in Construction Skills.

Level 1 comprises four phases, ranging from bricklaying and joinery to wall and floor tiling, painting and decorating, carpentry, plastering, plumbing and electrics.

Some excellent students have attended Preston Vocational Centre (PVC) this academic year (September 2023 – July 2024), and the annual awards singled out 10 of the very best for special recognition.

Award-winners at the event – which took place at PVC on St Paul’s Road in Preston city centre – received a certificate, trophy and toolkit to send them on their way to a career in construction.

The awards were presented by PVC Centre Manager Martin Grayston and CGA Chief Executive Rob Wakefield, with representatives from the sponsors also in attendance.

Isaac Robinson was named Student of the Year, Quinn Etienne was crowned Most Improved Student, while Katie Hinds and Thea Bateman each took home a Best All-Round Ability award.

There were also special awards for outstanding achievement in some of the different skillsets that students learn at the Centre: tiling, plumbing, brickwork, plastering, joinery and carpentry, and painting and decorating. Please see the table on page three.

Martin Grayston, Centre Manager at Preston Vocational Centre, said: “I loved every minute of the awards ceremony. It’s something we look forward to throughout the year and seeing the smiles on the parents’ faces was just so rewarding and wholesome. Thank you to everyone for coming and making the night such a special one. I hope the students and parents remember this for many years to come.

“The annual awards evening is the culmination of everyone’s hard work, as we look back on many months of incredible effort and determination shown by our amazing young people.

“For me personally, to welcome them to PVC on day one, watch them progress and ultimately see them stepping up to collect their award on 16 July all these months later – it’s just so satisfying.

“Every single one of them has been on a remarkable journey of development, learning so many new skills, but I am most impressed by how they’ve matured into competent young adults who I would have no hesitation in hiring for my own company if I was in such a position.

“My congratulations go to all the winners. In particular, the student of the year Isaac Robinson has been a stand-out performer: across all disciplines, he’s shown that he has an enthusiasm for the trades; he has engaged with staff and other students; he is always willing to work hard, support and help others; and he helps staff around the centre. Isaac has shown that young people really have got what it takes to make a difference. He is very deserving of this accolade and has a very bright future ahead of him, as do all our fantastic young people.

“It’s also very important to recognise our amazing sponsors’ role in making these awards happen, so my heartfelt thanks go to Conlon Construction, Travis Perkins, Barnfield Construction, CCH Joinery, JFN Integrated Solutions, Persimmon Homes, Xacom, Seddon Construction, and Sika UK.”

Rob Wakefield, Chief Executive at Community Gateway Association, said: “First and foremost, I’d like to say a huge congratulations to all the students on their incredible achievements. They’ve all done so well, and I found it really inspiring to meet them and hear their stories.

“We’re all immensely proud of the staff at Preston Vocational Centre, our charitable subsidiary, because they’re such an integral part of our overall business and our relationship with Preston residents and communities.

“We appreciate all the incredible work they do at the Centre to equip young people with the manual skills they need to get ahead in the building and construction industry.

“By sponsoring the ‘Best All-Round Ability’ award again this year, we’re showing our continuing support of PVC and their annual awards. I was delighted to present the award to Katie Hinds – a deserving winner, and we wish her every success for the future.

“We’re nearing the 11^th anniversary of PVC becoming our charitable subsidiary and in that time we’ve seen the Centre go from strength to strength.

“Martin’s leadership, right from its formation in 2009, is crucial to its success and I’d like to thank Martin and all his wonderful staff for their efforts this year, because these awards are as much about celebrating them and the success of the Centre as it is about celebrating the students’ success. We are already looking forward to another excellent academic year for 2024/25.”

You can read more about Preston Vocational Centre by visiting their website: https://www.prestonvocationalcentre.co.uk/

Preston Vocational Centre Annual Awards 2024 – Winners List