Swansway apprentices celebrate graduation with go-karting fun

Studying and completing an apprenticeship requires hard work and dedication, but when you’re fully qualified it’s time to party which is just what Swansway Motor Group apprentices did as they celebrated becoming fully qualified in their fields.

Swansway has over 50 apprentices across the group and 11 of them became fully qualified in 2019 and to mark this momentous event they were given a day to remember along with a graduation award and a bottle of bubbly.

The day of celebrations began with a go-kart Grand Prix at Team Sport Go-Karting in the centre of Manchester. The race was a highly fought affair and finished with Naeem Patel Apprentice Technician from the VW Van Centre in Preston taking top spot on the podium, closely followed by Karl Chadwick-Smith Apprentice Technician at Stafford Land Rover and taking the final podium spot was Kieran Hamilton, Apprentice Technician at Carlisle Audi.

The graduates were then whisked off for a late lunch at The Botanist on Deansgate, where they were joined by members of the HR team and Swansway Group directors. Chairman Michael Smyth presented a graduation award and bottle of bubbly to each of the graduating apprentices.

Scott Smith, Swansway head of recruitment, commented: “What a fabulous day and a brilliant way to celebrate and acknowledge all the hard work and commitment put in by these young men and women.

“I hope that their friends and family will see how much we value our apprentices and how important the apprentice scheme is; it’s vital that young people don’t think their only options are college or university, modern apprenticeships offer the opportunity to learn a life-long skill in a work environment and we’re extremely proud of all these young people who have worked so hard to achieve their qualifications."

Pictured on the winner’s podium L-R: Karl Chadwick-Smith, Naeem Patel, Kieran Hamilton.

The graduating apprentices were: Molly Taylor, Apprentice Sales Executive, Stafford Land Rover; Naeem Patel, Apprentice Technician, VW Van Centre Preston; Karl Chadwick-Smith Apprentice Technician, Stafford Land Rover; Kieran Hamilton, Apprentice Technician, Carlisle Audi; Olly Halsey, Apprentice Technician, Stafford Land Rover; Owen Lazenby, Paint & Body Apprentice, Swansway Accident Repair Centre; Morgan Jackson, Apprentice Technician, Stafford Audi; Tom Smart, Apprentice Technician, Crewe Audi; Jack Rowland, Apprentice Technician, Chester Peugeot; Elliot Longworth, Apprentice Technician, Blackburn Audi; Jacob Rigby, Apprentice Technician, Blackburn Audi.