Kildare's Bronwyn Villis and Jack Yeates win National Apprentice Awards

Bronwyn Villis, undertaking a Laboratory Technician Apprenticeship with Kerry Group has been named the overall winner of Apprentice of the Year 2024 at the Generation Apprenticeship ‘Apprentice of the Year’ awards 2024, held recently at the Round Room at the Mansion House, Dublin. 

Kildare-town native Jack Yeates, undertaking a Software Development apprenticeship with Salesforce was also named as one of 17 finalists who took home a prestigious industry award at the spectacular awards ceremony that showcases the breadth of phenomenal apprentice talent that exists in workplaces right across Ireland.

Coordinated by the National Apprenticeship Office, the Apprentice of the Year Awards are now in their third year of celebrations, and have seen a doubling of nominations this year with a record number 400 nominations. The awards celebrate outstanding apprentice talent that exists across 70+ national Generation Apprenticeship training programmes in every region in Ireland, and places a rightful spotlight on the talent, skills and contributions over 28,000 apprentices provide to workplaces and diverse industries across Ireland.

Bronwyn Villis said: "I am over the moon to be named Ireland's National Apprentice of the Year 2024! I am so proud and humbled to be recognised with this honour among 400 outstanding nominees - what an incredible achievement! I gratefully accept this honour on behalf of the entire community of diverse, talented apprentices everywhere - and I want to thank my family, friends and especially my employer, Kerry Group for all of the support, encouragement and guidance they have given me so far in my apprentice journey.

“Winning the Apprentice of the Year Award and Biopharma Award proves that hard work can pay off, and I encourage all young people and people who have been out of education for a while who are looking for a way to better their careers, particularly women, to choose the apprenticeship path, you never know what your hard work and skills can led to and this Award proves just that! Thank you to everyone who supported me along the way, and giving me the confidence to achieve even greater things as I progress in my career, I am truly humbled."

Minister Patrick O’Donovan TD presented the overall ‘Apprentice of the Year’ award to Bronwyn Villis, while Barry Comerford, National Apprenticeship Alliance Board member presented the industry award to Jack and 17 exceptional finalists, with Kilcullen’s Bronwyn Villis presented with another award in the Biopharma category.

Kildare Town Native, Jack Yeates added: "I am so thrilled to not only of been put forward for the ICT Apprentice of the Year award but also to have won it. I would like to extend a massive thank you to the team at Salesforce as well as my apprentice manager Shane Franklin for putting me forward and it's brilliant to be able to bring this award back to Kildare. I am elated."