A former Forth Valley College student was named as one of the rising stars of Scottish industry at the 13th annual Engineering Construction Industry (ECI) Training & Development Awards, held in London on Friday 7 November.
At the event held in the Glaziers Hall, Annalise Clark (18) from Stirling, joined fellow Scots Fallon Campbell and Michael Horgan to pick up an award at the prestigious ceremony to honour the very best of engineering construction talent in Great Britain.
Hosted by Dr Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock, the event brought together industry leaders, as well as the rising stars of tomorrow, for a celebration of excellence in training and development in the ECI.
The three individual awards all went to inspirational talents from Scotland, marking their significant contributions to industry and commitment to their own personal development.
Annalise, who is now a trainee maintenance operative at Altrad, won the ECITB New Entrant Award after completing the Work Ready Programme at Forth Valley College in the summer of 2025. She was accompanied at the ceremony by Richard Reid FVC Curriculum Manager in the department of STEM and Construction and FVC Apprenticeship Officer Nicola Hoggitt.
Fallon, who is an electrician on the nuclear site at NRS Dounreay, was named Apprentice of the Year, while the Graduate of the Year accolade went to Michael, a project engineer in the energy industry at Aberdeenshire-based STATS Group.
Annalise, said: “I’m very excited to have won. I was definitely in shock when they read my name out.
“It makes me feel appreciated and very thankful. This will definitely help build up my confidence and help me in the future going towards doing what I want to do. I couldn’t have imagined something like this was going to happen before starting the programme. Before that, I didn't have any confidence at all. When I went to college, I found a passion for something I wanted to do.
“I want to thank Alasdair Will, Robert McGuinness, Nicola Hoggit, Richard Reid and everybody at the college for helping me get through tough times and getting me through the course to help lead me to where I’m going and for the opportunity to thrive in engineering.”
FVC secured support from the ‘No One Left Behind Fund’ in January 2025 to run the Engineering Constructing Industry Training Board (ECITB) ‘Work Ready - Trainee Maintenance Operative’ course which ran for 16 weeks, until Friday 23 May. It was the first time the course had been run in Scotland and led to jobs for half of the ten students who took part.
Five of the students who completed the course have already secured employment with Altrad, UK, Ireland & Nordics – an international leader in the provision of industrial services.
The programme covered six units in the PEO Level 2 course including Health and Safety, Pipework, Welding and Handfitting and covering training in Manual Handling, Confined Space, Working with Hand Tools, Working at Height, Abrasive Wheel and CCNSG Safety Passport.
Caroline, Hogg, FVC’s Head of Apprenticeships, said: “Annalise has been awarded the ECITB New Entrant of the Year Award, recognising her exceptional progress, technical talent, and personal resilience during the Trainee Maintenance Operative Work Ready programme.
“She has excelled in welding, pipework and industrial maintenance tasks, quickly becoming a standout learner both in the workshop and on site at Altrad’s Boiler 10 project.
“Her journey is particularly inspiring given the significant personal challenges she has overcome, transforming from a quiet new entrant into a confident, capable and highly respected member of her team. This award celebrates not only her developing engineering skills, but her determination, leadership and professionalism – qualities that set her apart as an outstanding new talent entering the engineering sector.”
ECITB Chief Executive Andrew Hockey, said: “It fills me with great hope to see this commitment to skills development showcased throughout industry in the inspiring entries we received this year for the ECI Training & Development Awards.
“Congratulations go to all the winners and finalists who are great examples of these success stories over the past year and set standards to which we all aspire. I would also like to thank our judges, as well as our generous sponsors who made the evening possible for us to celebrate the brightest and best.”
For more information visit https://www.ecitb.org.uk/news/rising-stars-honoured-as-eci-awards-celebrate-industry-excellence/
