At just 20, Lydia Rowell is proving her worth in the competitive world of mechanical engineering.

Lydia, a mechanical fitter at Sellafield Ltd, was named the region’s ‘Advanced Level Apprentice of the Year’ at a ceremony in Liverpool hosted by the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS).

Having recently completed a four-year apprenticeship, Lydia from Frizington will now go forward to the national finals of the competition later this year.

She said: "I feel lucky to have had the opportunity to do an apprenticeship.

“Being able to earn a salary while gaining valuable knowledge, experience and qualifications at the same time, has been the ideal start to my career.

“I am really happy to win this award and will use this opportunity to keep promoting apprenticeships locally and nationally. Being able to inspire young people is highly rewarding.”

Les Studholme, head of training for Sellafield Ltd, described Lydia as a great ambassador for Sellafield and apprenticeships

“We’re extremely proud of our young trainees at Sellafield, striving to develop their skills and behaviours so that they can be the best that they can be," he said.

“These awards demonstrate the huge opportunities offered to young people by the Sellafield mission, and the value we place on high quality training and development.

“Young people like Lydia will be driving forward the decommissioning programme for many years to come and helping Cumbria cement its reputation as a hub of nuclear skills and expertise.”