Plumbing student Scott Bilham, from Bury St Edmunds, has won the Chartered Institute of Plumbing & Heating Engineering Award at West Suffolk College's annual prize-giving.

This award was for the student showing the best progress in achieving the required skills in the plumbing industry. For Bilham, who works for Blueflame, an Essex-based heating and renewable energy specialist, this is his second award in recent months – in May he became Apprentice of the Year 2013 at the Essex Countywide Business Awards.

Bilham received his latest award from Martin Wharnsby, chairman of the Suffolk branch of the CIPHE. Wharnsby said: “Scott has demonstrated an excellent attitude and work ethic. He always goes the extra step above and beyond to achieve. He has completed the NVQ Level 3 Plumbing Apprenticeship with his employer Blueflame and is going to join the Gas Safe Register, which is an excellent achievement for such a young apprentice.”

Bilham’s college lecturer Ben Boxall said: “On the whole, it is Scott’s attitude and facility for hard work that impresses us the most at West Suffolk College. I have been in education since 2005 and I have not heard of many apprentices offering and going back to help their supervisor out after college on a Friday evening, for example – Scott did!”

Finally, Blueflame director John Richards had the following to say about his protégé: “We’re all very proud of Scott. To win one award would be good enough for most of us, but to win two in one year says quite a lot about this young man. He is always willing to help and is totally committed to getting every aspect of his work right. He doesn’t shirk responsibility and likes to be involved in challenging areas so he can stretch himself. He’s everything you’d want in an engineer.”

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