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Sixteen high performing individuals from across the UK’s electro-technical wholesaling sector were celebrated at the EDA’s 2019 Education & Training Awards recently. Eight managers, singled out for championing the EDA’s Training & Apprenticeship Programme within their businesses and teams, received an Investor in Training Award in front of an audience of 540 – including special guest, England international cricketer and TV personality, Phil Tufnell – at the Association’s Annual Dinner on Park Lane on Thursday 7 March 2019. The next day, at a lunch held at London’s Shard, eight EDA Learning Achievement Awards were presented in recognition of outstanding performance in an apprenticeship or product knowledge training.

Both awards ceremonies were part of the EDA’s celebrations for National Apprenticeship Week 2019.

High performance

Competition is fierce for an EDA Award. The winners are singled out from thousands of employees across all EDA manufacturer and wholesaler businesses based on grades achieved in product knowledge module studies, or of assessed performance in the case of apprentices.

EDA President Chris Gibson, who presented the Awards alongside John Henry, MD of event sponsors EDA Apprenticeships Plus, said

“Our winners come from the four corners of the UK, from Edinburgh to Guernsey, from Lincoln to Torquay. While their businesses may be diverse, each worthy winner is celebrated for the same reasons: in the case of learners it’s their commitment and dedication to developing their own professional skills and growing their careers and, for our manager winners, their leadership skills in driving high performance in their teams through apprenticeships and training.”

“Every business needs to attract and retain talent, and our annual EDA Awards show how these businesses are raising their game by investing in their people. An EDA trophy symbolises a commitment to developing the professional skills and knowledge that underpin the best in customer service.”

EDA Investor in Training Award Winners 2019

(Above) ANEW: Jake Ellis, Business Development Manager, Hedley & Ellis, Cambridge

(Above) AWEBB: Andy Hutchinson, Commercial Operations Manager, LAMPS – Lighting and Mains Power Solutions Ltd, Bicester.

(Above) CEF: Matt Stockham, Branch Manager, Torquay.

Above) Edmundson Electrical Ltd: Joe Roberts, Profit Centre Manager, Walsall.

(Above) Fegime UK: Craig Rose, Service Manager, Midshires Electrical & Lighting Ltd, Northampton.

(Above) Sean Gilbert, IBA Chairman and MD of 7 Core Electrical Wholesale Ltd, collecting an Award on behalf of Ricky Vidamour, Managing Director, Sarnia Electrical Supplies Ltd, Guernsey who was unable to attend.

(Above) Mike Bruce, Area Manager for Scotland East, collecting the Award on behalf of Fiona Lothian, Branch Manager Edinburgh West.

(Above) Stearn Electric Company Ltd: Alex Benwell, Branch Manager, Exeter.

An award of distinction

CEO of Fegime UK, Alan Reynolds FInstSMM, received a special award for completing all 12 of the new EDA Product Knowledge Modules, and securing 10 distinctions.

Awards for outstanding performance in an apprenticeship or product knowledge studies

On Friday 8 March 2019 family, friends, and business colleagues gathered for a celebratory lunch on the 34th Floor of the Shard where outstanding performance in an apprenticeship or in distance-learning product knowledge training was marked with an EDA Learning Achievement Award.

Margaret Fitzsimons, CEO at the EDA, added

“The EDA Learning achievement Awards are particularly special as these go to talented individuals whose performance has marked them out as ‘one to watch’ for the future. By opening up our Shard event to friends and family, we are showcasing the attractive career opportunities on offer in the UK’s electro-technical supply chain to a wider audience.

“This year we’ve also invited back three-time EDA Award winner, Craig Hiepner of Deta Electrical Company Ltd. Craig (centre) is also one of just a handful of people who secured 10 out of a possible 10 distinctions in his product knowledge training several years ago. Since then, his career has flourished so we invited him to present special awards to two individuals who have followed in his footsteps by securing 10 top grades: Douglas Day, (left) Commercial Trainee, and Zoe Ellison, Internal Sales, both at Edmundson Electrical Ltd.”

Sponsors

The 2019 EDA Awards, part of the Association’s celebrations for the 12th annual National Apprenticeship Week, are sponsored by EDA Apprenticeships Plus who have managed the Association’s Apprenticeship Programme since 2011.

EDA Learning Achievement Award Winners 2019

Above: ANEW (Outstanding performance in product knowledge training): Mark Emery, Internal Sales, Hedley & Ellis, Cambridge.

Above: AWEBB (Outstanding apprentice): Jack Hague, Warehouse Operative, LEW Electrical Distributors, Lincoln.

Above: CEF (Outstanding performance in product knowledge training): James Hart, Sales Assistant, CEF Torquay.

Above: Edmundson Electrical Ltd (Outstanding apprentice): Charlie Jones, Trade Counter Manager, Southend.

Above: Fegime UK (Outstanding apprentice): Jack Marriott, Warehouse Operative, KEW Electrical Distributors Ltd, Brighton

Above: IBA (Outstanding performance in product knowledge training): Paul Jenner, Chief Operating Officer of the IBA collecting the award on behalf of Kyle Highfield, Deputy Manager, Sarnia Electrical Supplies Ltd, Guernsey.

Above: Rexel UK (Outstanding apprentice): Dylan Sanudo-Ellison (centre), Warehouse Operative, Deeside

Above: Independent EDA member (Outstanding performance in product knowledge training): Daniel Schofield, Commercial Trainee, UK Electric Ltd, Warrington.