A trainee electrician from Exmouth, Devon has been named as one of eight finalists honoured in the NICEIC and ELECSA 2020 Electrical Apprentice of the Year competition.

Jamie Goulder was awarded the coveted title following a notoriously difficult selection process in which applicants were first tasked with a 40-question long online exam, with the top 20% going on to partake in a two-hour written exam held at several locations across the UK.

With the traditional grand finale recently cancelled on account of the current pandemic, Jamie has now been named as one of eight finalists from an original cull of 540 applications.

Now in its fifth year, the Electrical Apprentice of the Year competition was founded by the NICEIC and ELECSA, the UK's leading certification bodies for electricians, in a bid to award the industry's next generation of future talent.

It is run in conjunction with the competition's official partner, Scolmore Group - a major supplier of products to the electrical industry - and more recently supported by Voltimum's dedicated apprentice website www.ElectricalApprentice.co.uk.

Each year, the competition sees hundreds of budding electricians come forward and put their knowledge and skills to the test for a chance to receive the much-coveted title and win a range of prizes.

Along with the seven other finalists, Jamie has received a fantastic prize bundle of electrical goodies from the NICEIC and ELECSA and partner, Scolmore Group.

Talking of the accolade, Jamie said: "The competition is really big in our industry so I was shocked but very excited to find out that I have been named as a finalist. It's definitely going to be a big confidence booster as I continue going forward in my apprenticeship."

Jamie's employer, Adam Wheatley of AW Electrical, added: "Everyone at AW Electrical is immensely proud of Jamie in this huge achievement. Reaching the final stage of such a prestigious competition is a clear indication of both his sheer ambition and skill, and we are delighted to have him on board."

On the competition, Paul Collins, Technical Services Manager at NICEIC and ELECSA, said: "The Electrical Apprenticeship of the Year competition is always one of the highlights of our calendar, providing an important platform for us to reward and recognise the incredibly talented and hardworking apprentices we have operating in our industry today.

"While we were therefore very saddened to have to cancel this year's final in light of the current climate, we wanted to take the opportunity to honour each of our finalists who have demonstrated exceptional commitment, ability and potential. These really are the future of our industry, and we wish each finalist a fruitful and longstanding career in the vast, exciting and ever-changing electrical industry."

The Electrical Apprentice of the Year competition was launched in 2016 in a bid to recognise the UK's most promising electrical apprentices. For further information please visit https://electricalapprentice.co.uk. Alternatively, for further information on NICEIC go to www.niceic.com.