LCL Awards chose its Trainee of the Year at Awards event in June
14 Aug 2025
LCL Awards' Neill Ovenden presenting Hayden Inglis with his award at Gas Certification, along with the Gas Cert team and others who have supported him on his learning journey
Keen to build on the success of last year’s LCL The Awards, we added two new award categories to the proceedings this year. One for Trainee of the Year and the other for Community Engagement.
Our judges were particularly keen to read through submissions highlighting new industry talent in the Trainee of the Year category. They were looking for an outstanding individual whose dedication and commitment to training stood out from the crowd, and came up with a shortlist of three strong contenders:
- Gavin Charnock, trained by ACS Gas Training and Assessment in South Wales
- Hayden Inglis, who recently completed his Commercial MLP & ACS at Scotland's Gas Certification Company after completing his apprenticeship at Glasgow Kelvin College
- Joshua Scott who attained a number of qualifications at Logic4training in Luton
All three submissions were impressive, but after careful consideration Hayden Inglis was chosen as the winner. The judges commented on “his enthusiasm, passion and willingness to succeed” and were struck by his initiative which showed real promise and “set him in good stead to be a great asset for any future employer.”
Andrew McNab, Joanne Kelly and Louise Smith from Gas Certification Company were there to accept the award on Hayden’s behalf, but we caught up with the Hayden in a video call to find out how he was feeling, having won the award:
“How am I feeling? I feel brilliant about it!
“The news came out of the blue when Andy rung from the award ceremony in Birmingham to tell me I’d won. I’m so excited, it’s really good to have won!
”My apprenticeship and the time I’ve spent here at Gas Certification has given me such a good grounding. I don’t mind the theory, but it’s the practical experience that I most enjoy – helping me be a better engineer by working on the tools.”
Hayden, now twenty-one, began his gas apprenticeship at Glasgow Kelvin College when he was eighteen and impressed his tutors from the start, with a strong grasp of the technical concepts and an eagerness to apply them in real-world scenarios.
His college lecturer, Al Duncan who described Hayden as a mature and clever lad said:
“He has always been organised in his approach to college work and has continuously developed his skill set and knowledge. In addition to this, Hayden is gregarious and personable; two excellent traits for someone planning to work as a customer facing engineer.”
Hayden enjoyed school, particularly the problem-solving aspects of technology, maths and design. He always tried to do well and initially thought about studying architecture or graphic design at university. However, inspired by his father who is a Gas Compliance Manager and Engineer, he chose to take up a gas apprenticeship with ECG Facilities, the company his father works for.
Robert McKendry, Hayden’s manager at ECG Facilities praised his commitment:
"One clear example of Hayden's work ethic is his willingness to start early or stay late whenever needed, something he never hesitates to do. His reliability has not gone unnoticed, with several experienced engineers specifically requesting his support on jobs due to his positive attitude, aptitude and capability."
Jo Kelly is Hayden’s tutor at Gas Certification Company and has been supporting him through the portfolio part of his training. She has found him to be a very informed young man showing a real maturity in his approach in finding opportunities to deepen his learning:
“A recent example of this was when he went to observe a service on an oil-fired appliance and showed a real interest in taking part. Carrying out all the required checks and procedures, with skill and confidence and answering questions clearly and thoughtfully, he did so well, performing at a level well beyond our expectations, in what could have been considered an almost perfect audit!
“Hayden’s abilities to fault-find and offer considered solutions set him apart. He takes initiative in problem-solving, often researching technical issues independently and sharing his findings with his mentoring engineers and peers in his class. His natural curiosity and ability to communicate technical ideas have clearly made him a valuable contributor to the team and show his collaborative spirit.
“There are numerous instances where Hayden has gone above and beyond in supporting fellow apprentices when they’ve found things difficult. His skills in peer mentorship reflect his maturity and you can see he has a genuine desire to see others thrive. It’s not just in the classroom. When he was working with an engineer at ECG who was finding some of the physical work challenging, Hayden stepped in to help without a second thought.
“In collaborative work settings, Hayden is known for contributing thoughtful and constructive input. He often suggests ways to improve efficiency or streamline tasks whilst respecting existing procedures and instructions. His ability to balance innovation with deference to experience demonstrate both sound judgment and professionalism.
“Academically, Hayden has maintained strong performance in his studies with Glasgow Kelvin College, balancing coursework effectively alongside on-the-job training, often under pressure. When faced with a recent tight deadline during a particularly demanding portfolio submission phase, Hayden balanced his practical workload with college requirements by meticulously planning his time, proactively seeking feedback, and staying late when necessary. Remaining focused and motivated under pressure has allowed him to meet his goals without compromising the quality of his work and shows great promise for when he begins his working life.
“Beyond his technical work, Hayden is involved in several fitness clubs and regularly volunteers to support children and adults with physical and mental disabilities and other vulnerabilities through Hamilton Judo Club's Inclusion activities. He has an innate strength of character, sense of responsibility, and dedication to making a positive impact both in and out of the workplace.
“These achievements, combined with his work ethic and willingness to support others, highlight Hayden as an exceptional trainee who we believe is already making a meaningful contribution to the profession.”
Mark Krull, LCL Awards’ Director presented Andy McNab Managing Director with the trophy at our Awards event in June, and at the beginning of August, Neill Ovenden, LCL Awards’ Operations Director will travel to Glasgow to present Hayden with his prize, a digital manometer and a personal CO detector.
Mark commented on Hayden’s achievement during the evening of the Awards presentation:
“It’s so encouraging to hear about a young man like Hayden, making such a positive impression as he sets out on his journey to become a gas engineer - and to hear how our centres and qualifications can play their part in setting him up with a career for life.”
Hayden Inglis, winner of LCL Awards Trainee of the Year 2025
LCL Awards' Neill Ovenden presenting Hayden Inglis with his award at Gas Certification, along with the Gas Cert team and others who have supported him on his learning journey
Keen to build on the success of last year’s LCL The Awards, we added two new award categories to the proceedings this year. One for Trainee of the Year and the other for Community Engagement.
Our judges were particularly keen to read through submissions highlighting new industry talent in the Trainee of the Year category. They were looking for an outstanding individual whose dedication and commitment to training stood out from the crowd, and came up with a shortlist of three strong contenders:
- Gavin Charnock, trained by ACS Gas Training and Assessment in South Wales
- Hayden Inglis, who recently completed his Commercial MLP & ACS at Scotland's Gas Certification Company after completing his apprenticeship at Glasgow Kelvin College
- Joshua Scott who attained a number of qualifications at Logic4training in Luton
All three submissions were impressive, but after careful consideration Hayden Inglis was chosen as the winner. The judges commented on “his enthusiasm, passion and willingness to succeed” and were struck by his initiative which showed real promise and “set him in good stead to be a great asset for any future employer.”
Andrew McNab, Joanne Kelly and Louise Smith from Gas Certification Company were there to accept the award on Hayden’s behalf, but we caught up with the Hayden in a video call to find out how he was feeling, having won the award:
“How am I feeling? I feel brilliant about it!
“The news came out of the blue when Andy rung from the award ceremony in Birmingham to tell me I’d won. I’m so excited, it’s really good to have won!
”My apprenticeship and the time I’ve spent here at Gas Certification has given me such a good grounding. I don’t mind the theory, but it’s the practical experience that I most enjoy – helping me be a better engineer by working on the tools.”
Hayden, now twenty-one, began his gas apprenticeship at Glasgow Kelvin College when he was eighteen and impressed his tutors from the start, with a strong grasp of the technical concepts and an eagerness to apply them in real-world scenarios.
His college lecturer, Al Duncan who described Hayden as a mature and clever lad said:
“He has always been organised in his approach to college work and has continuously developed his skill set and knowledge. In addition to this, Hayden is gregarious and personable; two excellent traits for someone planning to work as a customer facing engineer.”
Hayden enjoyed school, particularly the problem-solving aspects of technology, maths and design. He always tried to do well and initially thought about studying architecture or graphic design at university. However, inspired by his father who is a Gas Compliance Manager and Engineer, he chose to take up a gas apprenticeship with ECG Facilities, the company his father works for.
Robert McKendry, Hayden’s manager at ECG Facilities praised his commitment:
"One clear example of Hayden's work ethic is his willingness to start early or stay late whenever needed, something he never hesitates to do. His reliability has not gone unnoticed, with several experienced engineers specifically requesting his support on jobs due to his positive attitude, aptitude and capability."
Jo Kelly is Hayden’s tutor at Gas Certification Company and has been supporting him through the portfolio part of his training. She has found him to be a very informed young man showing a real maturity in his approach in finding opportunities to deepen his learning:
“A recent example of this was when he went to observe a service on an oil-fired appliance and showed a real interest in taking part. Carrying out all the required checks and procedures, with skill and confidence and answering questions clearly and thoughtfully, he did so well, performing at a level well beyond our expectations, in what could have been considered an almost perfect audit!
“Hayden’s abilities to fault-find and offer considered solutions set him apart. He takes initiative in problem-solving, often researching technical issues independently and sharing his findings with his mentoring engineers and peers in his class. His natural curiosity and ability to communicate technical ideas have clearly made him a valuable contributor to the team and show his collaborative spirit.
“There are numerous instances where Hayden has gone above and beyond in supporting fellow apprentices when they’ve found things difficult. His skills in peer mentorship reflect his maturity and you can see he has a genuine desire to see others thrive. It’s not just in the classroom. When he was working with an engineer at ECG who was finding some of the physical work challenging, Hayden stepped in to help without a second thought.
“In collaborative work settings, Hayden is known for contributing thoughtful and constructive input. He often suggests ways to improve efficiency or streamline tasks whilst respecting existing procedures and instructions. His ability to balance innovation with deference to experience demonstrate both sound judgment and professionalism.
“Academically, Hayden has maintained strong performance in his studies with Glasgow Kelvin College, balancing coursework effectively alongside on-the-job training, often under pressure. When faced with a recent tight deadline during a particularly demanding portfolio submission phase, Hayden balanced his practical workload with college requirements by meticulously planning his time, proactively seeking feedback, and staying late when necessary. Remaining focused and motivated under pressure has allowed him to meet his goals without compromising the quality of his work and shows great promise for when he begins his working life.
“Beyond his technical work, Hayden is involved in several fitness clubs and regularly volunteers to support children and adults with physical and mental disabilities and other vulnerabilities through Hamilton Judo Club's Inclusion activities. He has an innate strength of character, sense of responsibility, and dedication to making a positive impact both in and out of the workplace.
“These achievements, combined with his work ethic and willingness to support others, highlight Hayden as an exceptional trainee who we believe is already making a meaningful contribution to the profession.”
Mark Krull, LCL Awards’ Director presented Andy McNab Managing Director with the trophy at our Awards event in June, and at the beginning of August, Neill Ovenden, LCL Awards’ Operations Director will travel to Glasgow to present Hayden with his prize, a digital manometer and a personal CO detector.
Mark commented on Hayden’s achievement during the evening of the Awards presentation:
“It’s so encouraging to hear about a young man like Hayden, making such a positive impression as he sets out on his journey to become a gas engineer - and to hear how our centres and qualifications can play their part in setting him up with a career for life.”
Hayden Inglis, winner of LCL Awards Trainee of the Year 2025