Apprentice Andrew among top in the country

Highly commended Andrew Routh-Smith (far right) with other Themis award winners and their programme leader Wayne McIntosh (fourth from left)

A highly skilled engineering apprentice from Burnley has proved he is among the best in the country

Andrew Routh-Smith, a former pupil at Blessed Trinity RC College, who now works for The Canopy Company in Rossendale was highly commended at the top engineering contest World Skills UK.

He was one of five Advanced Fabrication and Welding Engineering Themis Apprentices who came away with a clutch of honours from the prestigious competition that draws entrants from across the country.

Andrew and his colleagues received bespoke training from Wayne McIntosh who is the programme leader in Advanced Engineering Apprenticeships.