A Painting and Decorating apprentice from Newcastle College is celebrating this National Apprenticeship Week, after a year of award wins and competition success.
22-year-old Courtney Maddison, now in the final year of her Level 2 apprenticeship, spent 2022 honing her talents in various skills competitions and managed to end the year with several trophies to her name.
Courtney’s year started at NCG Skills, an inter-college competition for students and apprentices across NCG colleges. Created to shine a light on the vital skills of industries including construction and hospitality, NCG Skills gives students the opportunity to develop their practical skills through competition and improve their employability skills by interacting with employers.
Following her win at NCG Skills, Courtney fought off regional competitors to reach the final rounds of WorldSkills UK, the nation’s largest skills, apprenticeships, and careers event. Dubbed the ‘skills Olympics', the competition is designed by industry experts to help upskill and develop young people from all backgrounds and abilities. Competitors take part in regional heats to win a place in the UK final where they test their talents on a national stage and winners can secure a place in Team UK, with the opportunity to compete internationally.
Although she didn’t win a medal at WorldSkills UK, Courtney was proud to have reached the finals in what is a fierce competition. She commented: “WorldSkills was definitely the most overwhelming of the competitions I’ve done, but it felt incredible to compete at that level, and to know that I’d earned my place there.”
As if that wasn’t enough, Courtney was also awarded the Babington Award for Intermediate Apprentice of the Year at the National Apprenticeships Awards and reached the finals of the Crown Apprentice Decorator of the Year Award.
With more than 200 contestants every year, the Crown Apprentice Decorator of the Year Award is the UK’s longest running and best-known showcase for up-and-coming painters and decorators. Tutors and employers across the UK put students through their paces as they use Crown Paints products to tackle tests of skill, dexterity, and accuracy within a tight timescale.
Courtney continued: “I found out about the Crown competition from my tutor, Andy. I’m always keen to push myself and I wanted to see how far I could get, and I ended up in the top eight, which felt amazing.”
Courtney’s tutor, Andy Ritchie, said he had absolutely no doubt that Courtney would do well in the competition. He said: “Courtney’s motivation, her attitude, and her ability to complete work to the highest of standards under pressure, are the reasons I decided to enter her for the competition.
“She is totally dedicated to being the best she can be. She will come into college on non-college days to practice and work on different techniques. She has even come into college to work with, advise and talk to other learners who are hoping to enter competitions.
“Courtney is a prime example of what can be achieved by hard work and dedication and is an inspiration to other apprentices and students within our area. This year, Courtney will be competing in a minimum of five competitions and with her approach I am sure she is going to achieve more than she already has.”
Being able to develop practical skills on the job and in competitions is just one benefit of doing an apprenticeship, where 80% of the time is spent being trained by an employer.
Courtney knew she wanted to pursue a painting and decorating apprenticeship but finding the right employer was key. She explained: “I knew I wanted to work for a woman, but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to focus on commercial or domestic decorating. Then I found Samantha Murphy who does both, and she works for herself. As it’s just her, I knew I would get lots more one-to-one time than I would in a bigger company.”
“Sam has been great with supporting me with prepping for all my competitions. She sanded down walls in her house so I had somewhere to practice some of my designs, and she taught me tips and tricks for being quicker without compromising on quality, because there are very tight deadlines, and you must have everything planned out in advance.”
Now, Courtney is excited about what the future holds and continued: “I want to run my own business, and I want to give other young girls the opportunity to train with me, to show them what painting and decorating can be.
“A lot of people seem to get into painting and decorating because they think it’s an easy trade, but to me it’s so much more than that; it’s an art form. I think this trade should be attracting creative, artistic people and that’s what I plan to do.”
Courtney is taking part in her second NCG Skills final during National Apprenticeship Week and hopes to achieve even more medal success this year.
Find out more about Painting and Decorating courses and apprenticeships at Newcastle College