“To any other young women considering a job in industry, I’d just say ‘go for it’. There’s so much opportunity and it’s not as scary as it seems.”
Fallon Campbell was named Apprentice of the Year at the 13th annual Engineering Construction Industry (ECI) Training and Development Awards, which honoured the very best of engineering construction talent in Great Britain.
The electrical apprentice from North Scotland, who works on the NRS Dounreay nuclear power station, was presented with the trophy by award category sponsor the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) at a prestigious ceremony at Glaziers Hall in London celebrating excellence in training and development.
The 21-year-old came out on top after being shortlisted in the final three for the apprentice category, which recognised the achievements of individuals who were working towards or had successfully completed an apprenticeship pathway in the past 12 months.
Fallon, who is responsible for the maintenance, repair, installation and testing of electrical systems across the nuclear site, was recognised for completing her electrical apprenticeship programme six months ahead of schedule and for being the site’s “go-to apprentice in electrical engineering”.
In particular, the award submission highlighted that she:
- made an impact during a placement with a local company;
- was chosen to represent NRS Dounreay at Nuclear Parliament Week in London;
- served as a lead apprentice on a STEM outreach project;
- led fundraising activities among the apprentice group;
- became a role model promoting women in engineering, including engaging pupils in her former school.
Fallon, who lives in Melvich near Thurso, having grown up just 10 minutes from Dounreay, said: “There are so many engineering opportunities in the area. I always hoped I would get a job at Dounreay.
“I was really nervous about the awards, so it feels great to win and to have been recognised as a role model. It feels really nice to be promoting engineering, especially for young women in the area.”
Fallon Campbell
NRS Dounreay
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
Sign up for updates
Your information will be used to subscribe you to our e-newsletter.
For more information, please see our Privacy Notice.