Top apprentice wins engineering award

A Shotts worker is celebrating after receiving an accolade for her engineering excellence.

Caitlin Sweeney was presented with the James Cuthbertson award for best female engineering apprentice by New College Lanarkshire’s engineering and automotive faculty.

The teenager is a second-year apprentice with Shotts firm CPA Engineered Solutions.

She picked up her prize at a ceremony in Motherwell, and said: “I was really surprised to receive the award.

“I absolutely love my engineering apprenticeship; I don’t think I could have picked anything better.”

Summarising her efforts, assessors noted: “Caitlin’s college work is always carried out to the highest level”; while the assistant head of faculty added: “The winners demonstrated a drive and desire to succeed in their chosen field of engineering, which is the very essence and spirit of these awards.”

Caitlin first developed an interest in engineering after seeing an interesting feature on women in the industry while at secondary school – and went on to study mechanical engineering at City of Glasgow College.

She then pushed the boundaries of the male- dominated field when she gained a four- year engineering apprenticeship with CPA Engineered Solutions in 2017, becoming the first female apprentice in the company’s history.

Now Caitlin is hoping to inspire the next generation of young women in engineering following her award.

The 19- year- old’s workplace mentor, engineering manager Rodger Kerr, praised her awardwinning achievement.

He said: “Both our second-year apprentices have been achieving high results in and out of college and I’m delighted that Caitlin’s hard work was recognised with this award.”

Chief executive Alan Collin added: “As a business we are all a reflection of the standards we strive to attain; we’re all delighted with what Caitlin has achieved.”