Harriette Drysdale, an apprentice at Vertu Motors’ Stockton on Tees branch, has been awarded their prestigious Apprentice of the Year award. Harriette is currently halfway through her three-year apprenticeship with Inspiro Learning’s BMW automotive division.
Her General Manager, Chris Franklin who made the nomination praised her for her outstanding attitude, saying she is a credit to the BMW apprenticeship scheme.
Chris spoke very highly of Harriette, stating, “In all my experience of recruiting and working with Apprentices I have never come across one as dedicated, committed, mature and driven as Harriette. There is no way we would ever let her go. She has a career with Vertu for life. When you think of what you would like when taking on an apprentice, you get all of this and more with Harriette – superb scores across all the customer and performance KPI’s, and great levels of engagement with the BMW Group apprentice programme, with exemplary feedback. Always helpful and a genuine person.”
In addition to her daily work, Harriette has been actively promoting apprenticeships and recently presented to the local college in Teesside on the opportunities for young people to join the Motor Industry. She did a fantastic job and was applauded for sharing her story. A real advocate for our Group and Sector. Harriette is undoubtedly a star of the future and has a great career ahead of her”.
“It feels great to win,” Harriette said, reflecting on her achievement. Prior to joining Vertu, she studied mechanical engineering at an engineering college for two years, which provided a solid foundation for her apprenticeship. With her mother also working at Vertu in a different location, Harriette grew up surrounded by the automotive industry, sparking her interest in cars.
Harriette is thrilled with her training experience so far, praising BMW’s training academy and support system. She enjoys working at Vertu, where she has developed strong relationships with her colleagues and appreciates their encouragement.
Looking ahead, Harriette plans to continue working at Vertu and progress her qualifications to Level 3 Hybrid for BMW. Her advice to new apprentices is to persevere and stay committed, as it can be challenging initially. “Stick with it,” she advises. “It takes time to get used to the daily routine and learn new skills.”
Congratulations Harriette!
