Forres woman Bethany Welsh is Scottish Apprenticeship Awards finalist
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A FORRES woman has been named as a finalist in this year's Scottish Apprenticeship Awards.
Bethany Welsh (22), of Forbeshill, is a finalist in the Graduate Apprentice Rising Star category at the awards, which are delivered by Skills Development Scotland (SDS). The former Forres Academy pupil is currently an engineering graduate apprentice at Balfour Beatty.
Now in its 18th year, the Scottish Apprenticeship Awards bring together apprentices, employers and learning providers to celebrate the contributions apprenticeships make to the economy.
There are 26 finalists who will be travelling to the awards, which take place on Thursday, November 7, at Dundee's Caird Hall. One will be named Scotland's Apprentice of the Year 2019.
Ms Welsh, who has dreamed of being an engineer from a young age, said: "My friends and family are so proud of me. It is overwhelming to be a finalist and I can't wait for the night.
"Being a modern and then graduate apprentice has changed my life. Getting the opportunity to work on a project from start to finish is amazing – it is so rewarding to get to drive over bridges that I've actually helped create."
Bethany is keen to get the message across to other women and girls that engineering doesn't have to be a male-dominated industry.
She added: "Engineering isn't this dirty industry that it is sometimes portrayed as. I wouldn't say being a female has affected me in any way.
"Balfour Beatty have really given me the opportunity to evolve as a person. Everyone on site has been really welcoming to me and I've always been made to feel like one of the team."
Balfour Beatty Managing Director Hector MacAulay praised Bethany for her successes.
He said: "We are delighted Bethany is a finalist at this year's Scottish Apprenticeship Awards. This is fantastic recognition for her commitment to her own development and support for others in the wider apprentice network."
To find out more about apprenticeships and the Awards, please visit www.apprenticeships.scot
