Trainee plumber and heating engineer, Erkan Osman, said he has received "invaluable insight" as the first recipient of Alpha Heating Innovation's John Ellis scholarship.

The scholarship is set up in partnership with North West College in honour of a "well-respected" former Alpha engineer, John Ellis, who died of cancer in 2005.

Twenty-year-old Osman has been spending three days a week with Alpha since January as part of his work experience, which he will complete in July. He has also combined this with his Level 3 Gas qualification studies at North West Kent College. He already has Levels 1 and 2 NVQ City & Guilds Plumbing qualifications.

Osman has also been accompanying engineers on the road, which he says he has enjoyed the most.

"I've been out with a couple of engineers on quite a few occasions," said Osman, "and I have learnt a tremendous amount about the boilers."

A company spokesperson said: "John Ellis took pride in his work and it certainly seems that the winner of the first scholarship in his name shows the same level of enthusiasm and competence."