APPRENTICES at a Worcester firm scooped three prestigious awards at a recent ceremony.

The apprentices from technology firm Yamazaki Mazak picked up the Worcestershire Group Training Association awards during a ceremony held at Worcester Rugby Club.

Bethany Addis, 17, won engineering apprentice of the year - the first ever female winner of the award. The former Bishop Perowne School pupil is in the second year of a three-year apprenticeship and is the firm’s first ever female machining apprentice at its Badgeworth Drive-based manufacturing plant.

Harry Fuller, 17, who is in the second year of a four-year apprenticeship, won the personal development award as part of his sheet metal apprenticeship while Joe Kennie, 21, won the post-first year craft apprentice of the year award.

Richard Smith, European Group managing director at Yamazaki Mazak, said: “We have expanded our apprenticeship scheme significantly in recent years and now have more than 50 apprentices working in our European headquarters and manufacturing facility.

“These three awards are testament to the ‘can do’ attitude of all our apprentices, their enthusiasm and willingness to learn.

“I am particularly pleased with Bethany’s award and I hope it sends a signal that engineering and manufacturing is no longer an exclusively male profession.”