Marine apprentice Lewis Jackson has been recognised as Apprentice of the Year Engineering by the ETC Group, capping off an outstanding start to his career with PD Ports and training provider NETA.
Lewis, who completed his MOET electrical apprenticeship with the Marine Engineering team earlier this year, received the award at the ETC apprenticeship celebration event after being nominated by his tutor at NETA.
From day one of his apprenticeship, Lewis has impressed both his tutors and his colleagues with his attitude, work ethic and commitment to learning. He has consistently shown a strong grasp of both theory and practical application during reviews, workplace assignments and observations.
During his first year at NETA, Lewis completed both a Level 3 Subsidiary Diploma and a Level 3 Extended Diploma in Engineering Technologies, building solid foundations before moving on site at PD Ports. While working with the Marine Engineering team, he went on to achieve a Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Engineering Maintenance alongside his day-to-day responsibilities.
That hard work paid off when Lewis completed his end point assessment with outstanding results, achieving a distinction across all three elements. His tutor describes him as someone who approaches every challenge with maturity and determination, often going above and beyond what is expected to strengthen both his technical skills and professional confidence.
Denise Wearmouth, Curriculum Manager for Apprenticeships at NETA, described Lewis as “a credit to himself and to PD Ports”, adding that the team at NETA are incredibly proud to have been part of his journey.
PD Ports’ Marine Engineering Superintendent Peter Sharkey, who has supported Lewis throughout his time on site, has seen first-hand how he has grown into a confident and capable engineer.
Peter said: “Lewis has grown a lot in technical ability and maturity in the last year to complete his apprenticeship and has become a valuable member of the workboat engineering team.
“For Lewis, the award is recognition of the effort he has put into his training and the support he has received along the way from colleagues, managers and tutors.”
Lewis said: “It feels great to be recognised as apprentice of the year for engineering by the ETC Group. After all the hard work involved in completing an apprenticeship it is nice to have recognition from the people who have been involved throughout that time.
“I would like to thank everybody involved with my training, as well as both PD Ports for giving me the opportunity to complete an apprenticeship in electrical engineering and NETA training group for pushing me to always do my best.”
Lewis’s success highlights the strength of PD Ports’ apprenticeship pathways and the difference they make in developing skilled people for the long term. It also reflects the value of strong partnerships with training providers like NETA and the wider ETC Group in helping colleagues build their careers.