A huge congratulations to Elijah Bennett for winning the prestigious Building Plymouth Construction Technical Apprentice of the Year Award 2024.
Employed by the innovative service Shared Apprenticeships and hosted by Kier Construction with Exeter College, Elijah is undertaking a Higher Level 4 Construction Site Supervisor Apprenticeship.
Nominated by Emma Tate, Head of Shared Apprenticeships at Shared Apprenticeships, Elijah has been described as showing outstanding work and great skill. Emma said: “Elijah deserves to win this award because he has a genuine commitment to the industry – it is not just a job. His passion for the industry is routinely demonstrated through his resilience and excellent work ethic and he has ensured that he has made the most of all the opportunities given to him at work.”
Starting his apprenticeship during the Covid-19 pandemic, Elijah was put to the test from day one as his site manager was off for two weeks isolating with the infection. Nonetheless, Elijah showed excellent initiative and at once stepped up to the plate! He was on hand to the support the team straight away, and within a few days, he was helping to issue drawings to sub-contractors, managing the labourers’ workloads and helping the other manager with health and safety supervision. Even when the country was slowing down and the industry was struggling through the pandemic, Elijah was determined to make the most of the opportunity his apprenticeship provided, to turn up on site and succeed.
Working for Shared Apprenticeships and attending Exeter College throughout, Elijah has had considerable experience working on multiple projects and never wavered in his commitment to make a success of his apprenticeship and demonstrate the skills needed to succeed. As part of his role, Elijah delivers inductions to young trainees and apprentices as well as mature and highly experienced sub-contractors, helping to inspire the new ones and reassure anyone who may have concerns or questions.
Having not been in the industry for that long, he is able to empathise and support others when it is needed. With his proactive attitude and strong work ethic, it’s not hard to see why he has been awarded Apprentice of the Month and featured in two social media posts by Shared Apprenticeships. As host contractor, Doug Lloyd, Regional Director at Kier Construction said: “I am delighted Elijah’s commitment and development over the past two years has been recognised by this award. He has made a fantastic start to his career and is also taking every opportunity to give back to other apprentices following in the same path as himself.” Elijah is also involved in Plymouth’s BPART initiative, which brings together local apprentices who are working within the Building Plymouth network to enhance their apprenticeship experience whilst helping to create new professional relationships. He has readily accessed the workshops and sessions and enjoyed being able to meet like-minded people who are also starting out in the construction industry. It is easy to see why this “well-rounded apprentice” has won this award.
Upon receiving the award, Elijah said “Thank you for the award, it is an honour to be recognised. Thank you to both Kier Construction and Shared Apprentices for support during my apprenticeship journey. I look forward to the future and developing within my career."
