Morganstone trainee shortlisted for prestigious construction award
A trip to Uganda in 2014 to help build a food warehouse and mill for a group of widows is just one of the achievements that a young trainee has secured in the last twelve months, which has seen him shortlisted for the Young Achiever of the Year Award, at the prestigious Constructing Excellence in Wales Awards (CEW). The awards ceremony will take place at the Celtic Manor, Newport, on Friday June 12.
Owain Phillips, is currently a trainee site manager for Morganstone the Llanelli-based construction company, working on the Imble Lane development in Pembrokeshire.
Owain has already received a number of accolades including; the Carmarthenshire Construction Training Association Ltd’s Shared Apprentice of the Year Award, Coleg sir Gar Learner of the Year, Radio Wales Apprentice of the Year, and in collaboration with local primary schools in Ammanford he has designed and constructed war memorial benches that were donated to grave yards in Germany and England.
Owain originally came through the Cyfle Building Skills scheme as an apprentice carpenter. The scheme aims to ensure that each apprentice gets the required experience to develop the skill in all elements of their selected trade. Following on from Owain’s apprenticeship at Cyfle, Morganstone employed him directly as an apprentice carpenter and supported and nurtured him to progress to his current role as trainee site manager.
On top of his work with Morganstone, he is also returning to Uganda in September to finish the construction of a much needed maternity ward. Whilst he was there in 2014, he led a team of nearly 40 non-skilled workers to construct new buildings that has supported a group of widows to not only produce staple foods for their families but also has provided a vital source of income to the group through the sale of produce.
“I am really pleased to be nominated for Young Achiever of the Year. Since joining Morganstone, my skills have grown exponentially and I am really grateful that they gave an apprentice the opportunity to develop my skills.”
“I have worked on some amazing and inspiring projects over the last 12 months and I cannot wait to go back out to Uganda in September and help finish the work we started last year,” said Owain on his nomination.
Ian Morgan, Managing Director of Morganstone, said:
“We are proud to work with CCTAL via its Shared Apprenticeship Scheme and support apprentices like Owain.”
“We were delighted to see that Owain has been shortlisted for the Young Achiever of the Year Award. He has worked very hard since joining us, and thoroughly deserves the nomination. He is an ambassador for our company and a shining example of how you can achieve success going through an apprentice scheme.