Kildare woman is Ireland's top apprentice

TWO Kildare natives won top places at Generation Apprenticeship ‘Apprentice of the Year’ awards 2024.

Kilcullen native Bronwyn Villis was named Ireland’s Apprentice of the Year, beating 400 outstanding apprentices from across the country. Bronwyn is currently on a laboratory technician apprenticeship with the Kerry Group. Commenting on her win, Bronwyn said: "I am over the moon to be named Ireland's National Apprentice of the Year 2024! I am so proud and humbled to be recognised with this honour among 400 outstanding nominees - what an incredible achievement!

“I gratefully accept this honour on behalf of the entire community of diverse, talented apprentices everywhere - and I want to thank my family, friends and especially my employer, Kerry Group for all the support, encouragement and guidance they have given me so far in my apprentice journey.

“Winning the Apprentice of the Year Award and Biopharma Award proves that hard work can pay off, and I encourage all young people and people who have been out of education for a while who are looking for a way to better their careers, particularly women, to choose the apprenticeship path, you never know what your hard work and skills can led to and this Award proves just that!

“Thank you to everyone who supported me along the way, and giving me the confidence to achieve even greater things as I progress in my career, I am truly humbled."

Kildare town’s Jack Yeates won the top ICT Industry Award National ‘Apprentice of the Year’ awards 2024. Jack, who is undertaking a software development apprenticeship with Salesforce, was one of 17 finalists who took home a prestigious industry award at the awards ceremony. On his win, Jack said: "I am so thrilled to not only of been put forward for the ICT Apprentice of the Year award but also to have won it. I would like to extend a massive thank you to the team at Salesforce as well as my apprentice manager Shane Franklin for putting me forward and it's brilliant to be able to bring this award back to Kildare. I am elated."

Coordinated by the National Apprenticeship Office, the Apprentice of the Year Awards are now in their third year of celebrations and have seen a doubling of nominations this year with a record number 400 nominations.

The awards celebrate outstanding apprentice talent that exists across 70+ Generation Apprenticeship training programmes in every region in Ireland, and places a rightful spotlight on the talent, skills and contributions over 28,000 apprentices provide to workplaces and diverse industries across Ireland.

Dr. Mary-Liz Trant, Director of the National Apprenticeship Office added:

“The National Apprenticeship Office wish the warmest congratulations to Bronwyn Villis, the second ever female to win the national title, and congratulations to Jack Yeates on winning a top award in the Apprentice of the Year 2024 in the ICT category, and to all the outstanding apprentices who won industry awards spanning major skills industries.

“Apprentices are at the heart of Ireland’s skilled workforce, with remarkable attributes of leadership, teamwork, creativity and problem-solving. These awards not only celebrate the nominees but also the power and impact of apprenticeship as a mode of learning and career development for people of all ages and backgrounds across all 21st-century industries in Ireland.” The awards ceremony was held recently at the Round Room at the Mansion House, Dublin.