A 21-year-old man from Knightswood has shared his joy after he was named Britain's top apprentice. 

Chris Keel, who works at Glasgow-based construction firm City Building, won a prize worth £10,000 at the 2020 Screwfix UK awards. 

His prize for being crowned Trade Apprentice of the Year includes top-of-the-rage tools, IT equipment and an education package.

He beat out 14,000 other applicants from all over the UK. 

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The win came as a total surprise for Chris, who is in the third year of his joinery apprenticeship, after he was nudged into applying by his girlfriend Jodie in February. 

“I honestly thought I’d have no chance of winning, but the competition was due to close that evening so we just went for it," Chris said.

“I didn’t tell anyone because I never expected anything to come from it. Once I got an email saying I had got into the semi-finals, I was buzzing and told some of my family and City Building’s Training Manager, Gavin.

“Before lockdown, the plan was for all the finalists to go to London to be interviewed by a panel and to attend a ceremony but, instead, we had to make little videos where we were asked questions about our work. I took it seriously and I answered every question as best as I could, but I still didn’t think that I would have a chance of winning.

“It hasn’t sunk in and I can’t believe that I’ve won a national award. When my trophy arrived, I was honestly over the moon. My family are all super proud of me and Gavin was buzzing too!”

Glasgow Times:

He revealed he intends to put the £3,000 education package, which came as a prize to the award, towards obtaining a degree in construction and management. 

He said: “I love my job at City Building and I never thought about ever going to university, but its something I’d be interested in looking into.

"I’ve heard of a construction and management degree at Glasgow Caledonian Uni that sounds really interesting. This process has taught me that when an opportunity comes your way, you should take it.”

Dr Graham Paterson, executive director at City Building, said: “We are extremely proud of Chris and everything that he’s achieved this year.

"It’s fantastic to see that even during these challenging times, our workforce is still hard at work and dedicated to improving their skills.

“I’m looking forward to watching Chris continue to develop and complete his apprenticeship with us next year. Undoubtedly, he has a bright future ahead of him as a joiner and I’m sure he will continue to excel throughout his career.”