A 27-year-old from Cambourne was named apprentice of the year at the Automate UK Annual Awards night held in Birmingham last month.
Christian Pullen works for Huxley Bertram Engineering Ltd, a special purpose machines and automation company in Waterbeach, near Cambridge.
The electrical technician is supported by the North Chatteris Training Centre (NCTC) via his level three apprenticeship, an organisation that is part of Eastern Education Group.
He was one of eight people shortlisted in the apprentice of the year category and was crowned as overall winner during a glittering ceremony that took place during the annual Process and Packaging (PPMA) Exhibition Show.
He received a trophy during this prestigious awards do.
Reflecting on his career so far, Mr Pullen said that he left school and studied business management at the University of Dundee.
Just before lockdown back in 2019, he started working for his brother’s business selling and making saunas and whilst doing this, he decided to swap admin and spreadsheets for building and designing by starting an apprenticeship with Huxley Bertram Engineering Ltd almost three years ago.
After changing career, he has now picked up a national award and was delighted with this accolade.
He said: “The transition from business to engineering has been enjoyable. It has been a wonderful experience and I enjoy my work and can’t imagine going back into business now I’ve started doing this.
“The support from NCTC is great and I really enjoy coming here.”
On winning the award he continued: “I was overwhelmed. I was in a bit of shock when they read my name out. The other candidates were excellent. I was really surprised, super happy and over the moon. Winning has already provided a lot of opportunities for networking. My name is out there in the industry now and my opportunities have increased.”
Long term Mr Pullen wants to do an electrical engineering degree and get more involved in design and automation projects.
And after changing careers he has advice for others.
He said: “Strive towards what you enjoy. If that is not what you are currently doing – then don’t be afraid to make that change.”
Dean Lenton is an engineering lecturer at NCTC who has supported Mr Pullen. Dean said: “This is fantastic news for Christian. He is a dedicated student who is committed to his study and work. He is an example to others and he deserves this success. We are all very proud of him.”
Oliver King is an Electrical engineering Lecturer from Huxley Betram Engineering Ltd. Oliver said: “Huxley Bertram are very proud that Christian received the Apprentice of the Year award. Among a field of eight exceptional finalists – including fellow HB apprentice Harry Talbot – Christian was recognised for consistently going above and beyond expectations, demonstrating technical aptitude and professionalism well beyond his level of training. His eagerness to learn and consistently high performance have made him an integral part of the team – to the point where it’s easy to forget he’s still an apprentice.”
“Having two HB apprentices among the final eight is a testament to the strength of our apprenticeship programme and the dedication of the managers and mentors who support it.”
The NCTC was opened in November 2022 and has supported almost 500 apprentices in around the Cambridge and Peterborough postcode area. If you are an individual or business who would like to work with the NCTC you can email: nctc@easterneducationgroup.ac.uk
