Skye’s no limit S


Well-travelled Kevin is on the road to success after apprentice award


ELECT Awards finalist Kevin Durning has seen plenty of new places during his apprenticeship – travelling across the country from London to the island of Skye.


And that wide-ranging experience is one of the things that helped him be named one of the country’s top three apprentices this year. Kevin said: “My employer, HF Electrical, has offices in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Manchester and Belfast. I did lots of travelling during my apprenticeship, working in places like Islay, Skye and London. “The work ranged from shopfitting for the M & Co chain to pub remedials and refits. There was a lot of hands-on experience and I often had the responsibility of just getting on with the job, so it was really useful.” After leaving St Andrew’s High School in Clydebank in 2009, Kevin originally studied sports engineering at Strathclyde University. Although he completed two years, it didn’t turn out as he imagined. Kevin’s dad – who


was previously an electrician and is now a college lecturer – suggested he try a pre-apprenticeship course at Clydebank College. The course lasted three months and gained him an interview with HF Electrical.


Within two weeks, Kevin was delighted to receive confirmation


CABLEtalk DECEMBER 2019/JANUARY 2020 21


of his apprenticeship, which began in June 2013. “I discovered pretty quickly that the job can involve long hours and be more physical than you expect, but I’ve enjoyed every minute of it,” he said. “It’s a great workforce, everyone gets along really well and the company treats you well. “At HF we cover everything in the electrical industry. You never do the same thing for too long. “We do fire and security, pub refits, shopfitting, industrial work, control works and so on.” In January, Kevin will be time served for two years and eligible to go for approved


electrician grade. His plan is to work his way up through the company, moving into design and management within five to ten years. He was delighted to get shortlisted for Apprentice of the Year at the SELECT Awards. “It was a brilliant night. My family, girlfriend and a couple of colleagues were there and everyone had a great time. It was great to be considered among the top three in Scotland. “HF had never had anyone get that far before and the certificate is now on display in our Glasgow office.”


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52