ChassisCab Apprentice Achieves Double National Accolade
young Suffolk apprentice wins recognition twice on a national scale
A 19-year-old apprentice from ChassisCab – the Suffolk and Cambridgeshire-based DAF family-owned dealership – has scooped two national accolades in recognition of his work as a apprentice at the company’s Bury St Edmunds dealership.
Andrew Baber, who lives in Bury St Edmunds and is a part of the multi-award winning DAF Trucks National Dealer Apprenticeship scheme was honoured as ‘first year’ winner of the 2014 awards programme. He received a cheque for £300, a tool voucher and a tool trolley as his prize. To win the award, he demonstrated his practical skills at a pre-ceremony skill session assessed by DAF’s training partner Skillnet and the City of Bristol College - where he studies on a block-attendance basis as part of his three-year apprenticeship. Students combine practical and theoretical study at college with on-the-job training at their dealership.
During the same month, he was invited to join the Industry Apprentice Council (IAC) - the national voice of industry apprentices - and travelled to the Houses of Parliament at Westminister to meet the government’s Apprenticeship Ambassador to Business, Gordon Birtwistle MP. In his new role as a member of the IAC, Andrew was able to give feedback on his experience as an apprentice starting out within the truck sector; and discuss changes he would like to see implemented to apprenticeship training in the future. The IAC consists of just 14 apprentices aged 18-24 years old from companies including Airbus, BAE Systems, Ford Dealerships, Nestlé, Vauxhall and DAF Trucks.
Robert Baxter, Dealer Principal, at ChassisCab, said: ‘We are immensely proud of Andrew for winning the award of best ‘first year’ apprentice at the recent national skills assessment day. It shows he has what it takes to excel as a truck technician in the very first year of his training, and as such is a credit to the team here in Bury St Edmunds. His involvement with the Industry Apprenticeship Council will give him further insights into the world of training and development and should give him some exceptional communications qualities to serve him throughout his career.’
Speaking about the double accolade, Andrew who joined ChassisCab during 2013 after studying Light Vehicle Maintenance at West Suffolk College for two years said: ‘I am delighted that I have hit the ground running with my apprenticeship at ChassisCab. I think I must have inherited the genes to be a mechanic as both of my grandfathers were involved in the transport sector – one as a technician and one in sales. This recent national recognition will only motivate me further to do my very best in the future.’
ChassisCab is a family owned business that has been the main DAF dealer for Suffolk since the early 1990s and DAF Service Dealer for Cambridgeshire since 2006. Starting out as a commercial vehicle accident repair centre, ChassisCab has grown to become one of the premier dealers for DAF and a leading supplier of trucks in the region, now with main sites at Bury St Edmunds, Ipswich and Cambridge.
Based at Addison Way in Great Blakenham, Northern Way in Bury St Edmunds, Isleham in Cambridgeshire and most recently at Newmarket Road, Cambridge, ChassisCab now employs over 158 members of staff between its four separate locations.
Ends
Robert Baxter @ ChassisCab on tel 01473 833003, 07801 920 700
or email robert.baxter@chassis-cab.co.uk
Alison Baker @ Madhouse PR on tel 01284 830321, 07771 658 612 or email madhousepr@aol.com
Robert Baxter @ ChassisCab on tel 01473 833003, 07801 920 700
or email robert.baxter@chassis-cab.co.uk
Alison Baker @ Madhouse PR on tel 01284 830321, 07771 658 612 or email madhousepr@aol.com
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