Josh Mens, an apprentice Design Engineer from Dungannon, has been crowned Apprentice of the Year 2013.

Josh,18, is following an apprenticeship in Design Engineering at South West College, Dungannon. He is employed by Kiverco Recycling Systems Limited, which designs and manufactures recycling plants, which are then transported and installed across the world. The awards ceremony, organised by the Department for Employment and Learning (DEL), was held in Belfast’s Holiday Inn and was hosted by TV presenter Claire McCollum.

Congratulating the winners, DEL's Permanent Secretary Alan Shannon said: "This event is testimony to the skills and talent Northern Ireland has to offer. Apprenticeships play a vital role in ensuring that we have a better skilled, modern and dynamic workforce to drive our economy forward. I wish Josh, the Apprentice of the Year 2013, and all the other winners and finalists continued success in their chosen careers."

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Praising the roles of employers and training suppliers, Mr Shannon said: "Apprenticeships work for both businesses and individuals – providing companies with a skilled workforce to help them grow and giving individuals both hands-on experience and qualifications. I congratulate all the employers and training suppliers already engaged in providing apprenticeship opportunities.

"DEL has recently embarked upon a review of apprenticeships and youth training which will provide us with the opportunity to match skills to the specific needs of employers. Our economy is going through a considerable transformation and the jobs of tomorrow will require higher-level skills across a wide range of occupations. The review will ensure that the Northern Ireland economy benefits from the right people with the right skills, and that we build upon and enhance existing strong provision to ensure we have a world class system of youth training and apprenticeships."

(CD/MH)