Trainee of the Year 2026: Inspiring more women into green skills
06 Aug 2026
Carly Gayle, LCL Awards' Trainee of the Year (Staffordshire Training Services)
We are delighted to announce that Carly Gayle from Staffordshire Training Services has won the 2026 Trainee of the Year Award; she’s an outstanding individual who has demonstrated exceptional dedication, skill, and commitment to progressing her career in the building services sector.
Open to candidates who have completed LCL Awards qualifications, the search was on for a trainee who has gone above and beyond in their learning journey.
The shortlist for the award was impressive: Jake Hay, who completed his Gas MLP at Hampshire Training and Assessment; one of the youngest ever installers to gain Gas Safe registration at just 17, and Richard Dunbar from South Eastern Regional College, a career changer with one the best MLP portfolios the External Quality Assessors had ever seen.
It was Carly that swept the board with our judges’ votes, however.
A promising start
As a youngster, Carly enjoyed her time at school, particularly PE and Science. Encouraged by both her parents, there was nothing she felt she couldn’t do. Her father was a gas engineer, and she remembers being ever keen to help him at the weekends:
“From about the age of fourteen, I’d always want to help him at work. I’d jump in the van and off we’d go. There was no question of me not being able to do anything ‘because I was a girl.’ My Mum was incredibly supportive too. She’d been to university and trained as a surveyor. She then worked as an estate agent – and later became a bank manager.”
After school Carly took on an apprenticeship with Heatcraft Plumbing and Heating Services in Altrincham, whilst studying at Stoke on Trent College before setting up on her own. She now works as a Field Services Engineer for BAXI and juggles managing work with caring for her family. Her partner, Dan, is a gas engineer too and she has her own son and two stepsons, all under 12, so life’s pretty full-on!
A shining example
With 21 years' experience behind her, Carly recently completed LCL Awards' F-gas course at Staffordshire Training Services through Enterprise Cheshire and Warrington's Women in Green Skills Skills Bootcamp. Keen to future-proof her career, she embraced the opportunity with determination and a real enthusiasm for learning.
Staffordshire Training Services’ Director, Gareth Hassall, recalls:
“Carly was exceptional from the start. She was determined to do well on the course, and to keep improving, even when faced with unfamiliar skills and new challenges. She asked questions, took our feedback on board, and looked for ways to build her confidence and competence beyond the requirements of the programme.”
Engaging fully with all elements of the course, Carly’s strong work ethic shone through in all she accomplished, but it was the positive influence she had on the younger women learning alongside her that most impressed staff at STS. Gareth again:
“Having already built a successful career in the heating industry over many years, Carly
could easily have relied on her existing knowledge and experience. Instead, she approached her training with the mindset of a true professional, embracing every opportunity to learn, develop and challenge herself. She’s a strong example of what can be achieved when training is met with commitment and determination. She is exactly the kind of future professional who will help raise standards, promote inclusion, and contribute positively to the building services industry.
“The Green Skills scheme is designed to provide opportunities in the renewables sector and Carly’s attitude, proactive approach to learning and willingness to support others meant she excelled personally, but also as a source of encouragement to the other candidates. She was open to sharing her own experiences, providing motivation and demonstrating that women have an important and growing role to play in the future of the industry.”
Carly Gayle shone throughout her training at STS; combining strong practical ability with an impressive academic performance. She achieved a high assessment and exam score, demonstrating both her understanding of the course content and her ability to apply that knowledge under formal assessment conditions. Carly also stood out in practical learning and showed a strong ability to connect theory with real-world application, particularly around energy efficiency, heating awareness and low-carbon technologies.
Set for the future
Carly’s achievement has already led to career progression as she is now equipped to lead the way as one of Baxi’s newest F-Gas engineers, working on their heat pump unit range. Having worked primarily as a gas engineer for the last two decades the switch to refrigerants and understanding thermo-dynamics was a challenge she embraced. Carly has turned training into opportunity, building the skills and confidence she needed to move into a specialist technical role.
Carly’s story is one of determination, adaptability and self-belief. She has overcome the challenges of working in a male dominated field, balancing work, family life and technical training and grown in confidence.
She has become a role model for other women considering a career in green skills and building services and has created content for Baxi, to promote the industry in a positive and accessible way, sharing her experiences with honesty and enthusiasm.
Mark Krull and Neill Ovenden of LCL Awards will be making a trip to STS in August to meet Carly and deliver her award in person. We’re thrilled that she’s won this year’s award and wish her all the very best in developing her career in the future.
Carly Gayle, LCL Awards' Trainee of the Year (Staffordshire Training Services)
We are delighted to announce that Carly Gayle from Staffordshire Training Services has won the 2026 Trainee of the Year Award; she’s an outstanding individual who has demonstrated exceptional dedication, skill, and commitment to progressing her career in the building services sector.
Open to candidates who have completed LCL Awards qualifications, the search was on for a trainee who has gone above and beyond in their learning journey.
The shortlist for the award was impressive: Jake Hay, who completed his Gas MLP at Hampshire Training and Assessment; one of the youngest ever installers to gain Gas Safe registration at just 17, and Richard Dunbar from South Eastern Regional College, a career changer with one the best MLP portfolios the External Quality Assessors had ever seen.
It was Carly that swept the board with our judges’ votes, however.
A promising start
As a youngster, Carly enjoyed her time at school, particularly PE and Science. Encouraged by both her parents, there was nothing she felt she couldn’t do. Her father was a gas engineer, and she remembers being ever keen to help him at the weekends:
“From about the age of fourteen, I’d always want to help him at work. I’d jump in the van and off we’d go. There was no question of me not being able to do anything ‘because I was a girl.’ My Mum was incredibly supportive too. She’d been to university and trained as a surveyor. She then worked as an estate agent – and later became a bank manager.”
After school Carly took on an apprenticeship with Heatcraft Plumbing and Heating Services in Altrincham, whilst studying at Stoke on Trent College before setting up on her own. She now works as a Field Services Engineer for BAXI and juggles managing work with caring for her family. Her partner, Dan, is a gas engineer too and she has her own son and two stepsons, all under 12, so life’s pretty full-on!
A shining example
With 21 years' experience behind her, Carly recently completed LCL Awards' F-gas course at Staffordshire Training Services through Enterprise Cheshire and Warrington's Women in Green Skills Skills Bootcamp. Keen to future-proof her career, she embraced the opportunity with determination and a real enthusiasm for learning.
Staffordshire Training Services’ Director, Gareth Hassall, recalls:
“Carly was exceptional from the start. She was determined to do well on the course, and to keep improving, even when faced with unfamiliar skills and new challenges. She asked questions, took our feedback on board, and looked for ways to build her confidence and competence beyond the requirements of the programme.”
Engaging fully with all elements of the course, Carly’s strong work ethic shone through in all she accomplished, but it was the positive influence she had on the younger women learning alongside her that most impressed staff at STS. Gareth again:
“Having already built a successful career in the heating industry over many years, Carly
could easily have relied on her existing knowledge and experience. Instead, she approached her training with the mindset of a true professional, embracing every opportunity to learn, develop and challenge herself. She’s a strong example of what can be achieved when training is met with commitment and determination. She is exactly the kind of future professional who will help raise standards, promote inclusion, and contribute positively to the building services industry.
“The Green Skills scheme is designed to provide opportunities in the renewables sector and Carly’s attitude, proactive approach to learning and willingness to support others meant she excelled personally, but also as a source of encouragement to the other candidates. She was open to sharing her own experiences, providing motivation and demonstrating that women have an important and growing role to play in the future of the industry.”
Carly Gayle shone throughout her training at STS; combining strong practical ability with an impressive academic performance. She achieved a high assessment and exam score, demonstrating both her understanding of the course content and her ability to apply that knowledge under formal assessment conditions. Carly also stood out in practical learning and showed a strong ability to connect theory with real-world application, particularly around energy efficiency, heating awareness and low-carbon technologies.
Set for the future
Carly’s achievement has already led to career progression as she is now equipped to lead the way as one of Baxi’s newest F-Gas engineers, working on their heat pump unit range. Having worked primarily as a gas engineer for the last two decades the switch to refrigerants and understanding thermo-dynamics was a challenge she embraced. Carly has turned training into opportunity, building the skills and confidence she needed to move into a specialist technical role.
Carly’s story is one of determination, adaptability and self-belief. She has overcome the challenges of working in a male dominated field, balancing work, family life and technical training and grown in confidence.
She has become a role model for other women considering a career in green skills and building services and has created content for Baxi, to promote the industry in a positive and accessible way, sharing her experiences with honesty and enthusiasm.
Mark Krull and Neill Ovenden of LCL Awards will be making a trip to STS in August to meet Carly and deliver her award in person. We’re thrilled that she’s won this year’s award and wish her all the very best in developing her career in the future.