Two Waterford apprentices reach semi-finals of major trade competition with €10k prize

Two aspiring electricians from Waterford have been named among the semi-finalists in this year's Screwfix Trade Apprentice competition, beating thousands of applicants to reach the next stage.

Seán Foran, 20, who is studying electrical at SETU, and Rachel Horsom, 21, an apprentice with GRETB, have both secured places in the semi-finals after impressing judges in the nationwide contest.

The pair were selected from more than 3,000 applicants across the UK and Ireland, with just 37 apprentices progressing to the semi-final stage of the competition.

Both Waterford apprentices are now in with a chance of reaching the final and claiming the €10,000 trade bundle prize, which includes tools, training and technology.

Speaking after reaching the semi-finals, Seán said he was thrilled to represent the county.

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"I am delighted to have made it through to the semi-finals of Screwfix Trade Apprentice. To have been selected from a record number of applications is a huge achievement for me," he said.

"I'm excited at the prospect of representing Waterford on a national stage. I love the challenges of our everyday jobs. It brings me great satisfaction when I get past a problem I'm facing."

Rachel also spoke of her pride at making it through to the next round.

"I am delighted to have made it through to the semi-finals of Screwfix Trade Apprentice. To have been selected from a record number of applications is a huge achievement for me," she said.

"I'm excited at the prospect of representing Waterford on a national stage. I am an eager and hardworking apprentice. I always try to further my skills in anything I can do."

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The semi-finalists will now take part in an interview stage, with the finalists set to be selected ahead of the competition final at Google's headquarters in London in April.

Jack Wallace, Marketing Director at Screwfix, said reaching the semi-final stage was already a major achievement.

"With apprentices so important to the future success of the industry, it is great to see that we have received a record number of entries this year," he said.

"To make it through to the highly contested semi-final stage is a fantastic achievement."