The Greater Manchester Chamber’s first Construction Apprentice of the Year Award, designed to recognise outstanding young people in the commercial and residential construction sector, is now in its final stages.

The largest Chamber of Commerce in the UK allowed individuals or businesses located across Greater Manchester to nominate an apprentice working in a construction-related role, for the award.

The deadline for the competition closed this week, meaning that the countdown to the final judging process has now begun in earnest. This year’s judging panel is made up of representatives from major construction firms including First Choice Homes, Carillion, social housing regeneration specialist Forrest and construction, services and property group Kier.

Nominations for this year's award included young apprentices working across the electrical, plumbing, tiling, decorating, carpentry, bricklaying and plastering sectors, and, such was the high standard of entries, the judges had an extremely tough time selecting a shortlist.

The winner of the award will be presented with prize money totalling