Hospital apprentice wins top award

A computer engineer from Kirkby has seen his career hit new heights since completing an apprenticeship.

Kevin Simpson, 30, was working as a Data Cleanser at Aintree University Hospital when he started his Level 3 IT Software, Web and Telecoms apprenticeship in 2017.

Midway through his studies, the newfound skills meant he was able to secure a more senior role with the hospital’s IT support team, where he now works as a service desk engineer, helping colleagues resolve hundreds of queries each day.

He has also been named Hugh Baird College’s Apprentice of the Year, beating 650 other apprentices from across the college to the prize.

Kevin, who used to build PCs as a youngster, said: “I am over the moon to have won this award. It is fantastic that Aintree supports the career progression of its staff by offering apprenticeship opportunities like this. Hopefully, this is just the beginning for me and I can go on to develop my skills further and make a real difference to how the hospital operates and delivers care to patients.”

Before joining the IT team, Kevin worked for eight years on the frontline as a Health Care Assistant.

Andrew Spence, IT Service Desk Manager and Kevin’s mentor, said: “Kevin has made a huge difference since starting with our department and this award is well deserved. Despite being a junior member of our team, he is not scared to throw himself in at the deep end. He has a very bright future ahead of him and so does Aintree with him here.”

Richard Hunt, Kevin’s lecturer who nominated him for the award, said: “Kevin’s hard work and dedication has allowed him to progress professionally at an exceptional rate. He has become an accomplished member of Aintree’s IT team and has shown the opportunities an apprenticeship can bring if you’re willing to put in the hard work.”