The father of two from Middleton, Manchester, attended the glitzy HVCA Annual Dinner, a black tie affair at Bolton’s Reebok Stadium, to lift some silverware of his own, in the form of the NW Training Award for 2009 for his performance on an NVQ level 3. He was named Ventilation Ductwork Installer of the Year and received the prize in front of 200 invited guests, and whilst the title might not sound that glamorous, the Award will help James to climb the ladder with his employer, Lancashire building services engineering company, Ameon, who have supported him on the two-year Ventilation course and yet another work based NVQ in Commercial Plumbing and Heating.
Although training is an ongoing part of James’s working life, he has long since left the days when he had to make tea for his co-workers and for the last ten years has worked on site as a ventilation and heating technician and latterly, senior craftsman on sites around the region for Ameon, including the prestigious, Media City development at Salford Quays.
With a thirst for learning unquenched, James will now embark on a computer course to hone his skills in preparation for a move into the design field. He commented: “I’m hoping that my award will dispel the myth that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks and also help me to gain another promotion at Ameon. My ultimate aim is to move into the company’s design department to design heating and ventilation systems for construction projects. There’s a strong training culture within the company and everyone gets a chance to improve themselves here, so I’m confident that I can achieve my goals.”
As an accomplished cross- country athlete, James is no stranger to achieving goals. He is currently a veteran member of the renowned Middleton Harriers running club and is this season engaged in a series of road and fell races, often competing against younger athletes. His boss at Ameon, managing director, Robin Lawson, knows how driven James can be and believes that his competitive nature has helped him acquire his new skills. He said: “When James joined us he always showed great interest in self-development and is always pushing himself, so to see him competing week in week out against younger athletes is no surprise. It also came as no surprise that he’s become an award winner for training, because his appetite for knowledge is great and he gives everything one hundred percent.”
As a consequence of the Award, James will be given the opportunity to operate as foreman on one of Ameon’s latest projects: the £1.9 million contract to install all mechanical services in Rochdale Sixth Form College’s prestigious new five-storey teaching facility, which ironically, is within running distance of his Middleton home, thus enabling him to combine both of his passions.
Originally released 09/03/2010
For more information visit Ameon Mechanical and Electrical Services at http://ameon.co.uk
