A CARDENDEN man was one of four Fife success stories at Lantra Scotland’s annual Land-based and Aquaculture Learner of the Year Awards.

Aaron Ross from Cardenden, joined Jamie Gemmell from Kirkcaldy, Jennifer Wright from Dunfermline and Reece King from Glenrothes, in being successful at the awards night which took place at the Doubletree by Hilton Dunblane Hydro on Wednesday night.

Cardenden 20-year-old, Aaron, won the Trees and Timber category, while 23-year-old Reece took the runner-up spot. 22-year-old Jamie was runner-up in the Fisheries Management and Environmental Conservation category and 22-year-old Jennifer was the Horticulture runner-up.

Aaron is doing a Modern Apprenticeship in Trees and Timber with the Falkland Stewardship Trust, where he is responsible for a range of tasks, from weed control and pesticide application, to dry stone walling and orchard maintenance. Aaron has also been working hard achieving his chainsaw maintenance, crosscutting and felling, wood chipper, tree climbing, aerial rescue and brushcutter tickets.

Aaron said: “What a night it has been — I came into these awards happy to be shortlisted, but to win my category is fantastic.

"I love my work and picking up new skills — it’s about making small improvements each day, which is hard work but really rewarding".

He added: "Winning an award makes you realise that maybe you’re ok at what you do, which really lifts you up. I’m really looking forward to the next stage of my career.”

Reece has also been doing a Modern Apprenticeship in Trees and Timber through SRUC, while working for the Falkland Stewardship Trust. He has a great understanding of forestry and arboriculture and is keen to learn more and develop himself further in the industry. 

Jamie has been doing an SVQ Level 2 in Environmental Conservation while working for the Outdoor Access Trust for Scotland. A law graduate of Abertay University, he decided to switch careers as he had always felt most comfortable outdoors. He is currently a trainee upland path worker with the Mountains and the People, a project run by the Outdoor Access Trust for Scotland. His role consists of on-the-job training in upland and lowland path building techniques, as well as doing an SVQ Level 2 in Environmental Conservation.

Jennifer has just completed a Modern Apprenticeship in Parks, Gardens and Green Spaces with SRUC, while working for the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh. While at the Botanics, she regularly volunteered at a number of National Trust for Scotland sites, including the gardens at Culross Palace and Edinburgh Zoo.

The 2018 Learner of the Year Awards were organised by Lantra Scotland, the sector skills council for the land-based, aquaculture and environmental conservation industries.

The keynote speech was given by Dougie Vipond, TV presenter of sports and outdoors programmes and Deacon Blue founder member and drummer.

According to Kevin Patrick, Director of Lantra Scotland, the awards play a vital role in celebrating the achievements of trainees within Scotland’s rural sector, as well as encouraging employers to invest in the next generation of talent.

He continued: “Our awards highlight the incredible people, the great work they do and the career opportunities within Scotland’s land-based, aquaculture and environmental conservation industries".