Press release: Dstl’s award winning apprentices

Four apprentices from the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) have won prestigious QinetiQ Apprentice Training School Awards and one was also recognised as the best student by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET). The awards underline the quality of Dstl’s programme for school and college leavers, which was also recently rated as being in the top 100 by All About School Leavers and Rate My Apprenticeship.

The award winners were:

  • Oliver Kemp: 1st Year Mechanical Manufacturing engineering apprentice
  • George Sweeney: 2nd Year Electrical engineering apprentice
  • Cameron Fitze: 3rd Year Electrical engineering apprentice
  • Zac Hall: 3rd Year Mechanical Manufacturing engineering apprentice

In addition, Zac also won the IET, Student Excellent Prize. Zac’s nomination highlighted his outstanding attitude, strong work ethic, willingness to learn and his ability to work in a team environment.

Commenting on his award, Zac said:

I was shocked – but delighted to have won the award! I’ve really enjoyed the work I’ve been doing and the Dstl apprenticeship scheme has given me great support and many opportunities.

Della Williams, Engineering Apprentices Team Leader at Dstl added:

Ollie, George, Cameron and Zac have done exceptionally well to receive these awards. Zac is the first Dstl engineering apprentice to be awarded the IET Student Excellence Prize which is a huge accolade. It is clear that the apprentices really enjoy the variety and nature of the work that they are doing at Dstl.

Dstl apprentices get to work on some of the UK’s most exciting and interesting science and technology programmes, many of which have international and well as national implications. In recent years, for example, current and former apprentices have worked on space satellites, drones, aircraft and tackling the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.

This year Dstl has recruited 31 apprentices. The next recruitment campaign is expected to start in early 2018. Details of Dstl apprenticeship vacancies will be published on the Civil Service Jobs site and on the Dstl Early Careers Facebook page.

The awards were presented by Alan Woolford from QinetiQ and Tim Heywood from IET.