Durham Cricket apprentice groundsman Tom Wilson has been named as Apprentice of the Year from East Durham College, Houghall Campus after a successful 19 months at Emirates Riverside.
Wilson who joined Durham in May 2019, has balanced his apprenticeship alongside studying for his City & Guilds Level 2 Diploma in Work-based Horticulture ‘Sports Turf’– which has seen become a vital member of the Durham Cricket ground staff team.
Only two awards are up for grabs each year at East Durham College, with an Apprentice of the Year being named from Houghall Campus and Peterlee Campus.
Tom Wilson said: “I am really pleased to have been awarded the Apprentice of the Year from East College Durham, The Houghall Campus.
“Having had previous experience at York City Football Club and various golf courses, it was great to join Durham Cricket and gain more valuable experience, while completing my apprenticeship.
“To work alongside such an experienced and knowledgeable team has been really key, plus learning from Vic Demain has been great – he has won awards for his groundwork, so it is always good to learn from the best around.”
Durham Cricket Head Groundsman Vic Demain said: “Tom joined us before the World Cup last year in May, in what was such a busy period for all the team.
“As you can expect, last summer was extremely busy so we didn’t have much time to train him up, but he has done really well, he has been a real good asset to the team, he has fitted in with everyone and works with everyone, we only have to show him something once and he picks it up and takes it on.
“His college work alongside the role here has been excellent, he has gone above and beyond in completing extra training courses and has progressed really well and we are hoping for great things for him in the future.”
Chris Wood, Trainer coach for Sportsturf at East Durham College nominated Tom for the award, he said: “I am delighted that Tom has won the Apprentice of the year award at East Durham College.
“Tom has a great desire to learn and succeed and this has been proven by the outstanding work that he has produced, both in his knowledge and performance-based evidence.
“Tom is a great example to our other apprentices, always displaying a great attitude and a willingness to help his fellow students as well as excelling in his own studies.
“We are all very proud of Tom at EDC and I am certain that he has a great career ahead of him working with Vic and the team at Durham Cricket, Well done Tom!”