“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.”
Annalise Clark, who is a Trainee Maintenance Operative (TMO) at Altrad working at Grangemouth, won the ECITB New Entrant Award at a prestigious ceremony in London, which recognised the very best of engineering construction talent across Great Britain.
The 18-year-old from Stirling was handed the trophy by award category sponsor Laker Vent at the 13th annual Engineering Construction Industry (ECI) Training and Development Awards at Glaziers Hall.
She came out on top after being shortlisted in the final three for the award, which recognised the achievements of learners who are working towards or have successfully completed an ECITB-led new entrant programme in the past 12 months.
Annalise completed the ECITB’s TMO Work Ready Programme at Forth Valley College before landing the operative role at one of the largest employers in the ECI, which spans sectors that focus on the construction, maintenance and decommissioning of heavy industry, including oil and gas, nuclear, power generation, renewables and chemicals.
The award submission highlighted how she “excels in welding, pipe bending and threading, and shows strong teamwork and leadership”. Her “personal growth” throughout the programme was also noted along with her “resilience and tenacity”.
Since transitioning into employment at Altrad, Annalise has actively supported skilled tradespeople on site and gained hands-on experience across a variety of industrial maintenance activities.
“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 as I work towards what I want to do in the future.
“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.”
Annalise Clark
Altrad / Forth Valley College
A judging panel of industry representatives – made up of Tracey Shelley (BCECA), John Simpson (ECIA), Mark Riley (Phillips 66 Limited), Steve Hunt (Altrad) and Helen Woodward Davies (EDF Energy) – picked the overall winners across nine categories based on the significant contributions they have made both to the ECI and their own organisations.
Find out more about all the winners from the ECI Training & Development Awards 2025
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