The winners of this years' HIE Shetland Training Awards received their prizes at an awards ceremony held in the Town Hall, Lerwick last night (Monday December 17).

The Shetland Training Awards seek to recognise and celebrate outstanding achievements by individual trainees both in terms of personal achievement and through bringing benefits to their employer throughout their training period.

Winner of the 'Modern Apprentice of the Year', sponsored by BP Sullom Voe, was Peter Stewart from Scalloway, employed by 'Scalloway Motors'. Peter received the winners' trophy and a cheque for £500. His training was provided by local training organisation 'Train Shetland'.

Runners up in this category were Liam Adamson from Cunningsburgh (SIC - Ferries Division) and Ashley Burgess from Quendale (Lerwick Vets) who received gift tokens courtesy of HIE Shetland. Liam's training provider was 'Train Shetland' and Ashley received her training through Orkney College.

A Scalloway trainee also triumphed in the 'Modern Apprentice - Outstanding Effort' Award, sponsored by BP Sullom Voe, with Stuart Paton of 'Scottish Sea Farms' picking up the winner's trophy in this category, together with a cheque for £350. Stuart was closely followed by runners up Neil Taylor from Virkie (Streamline Shipping) and Peter Stewart from Scalloway (Scalloway Motors) - Peter's second success of the evening. The training provider for all three winning trainees in this particular section was 'Train Shetland'.

In the 'Skillseeker of the Year', again sponsored by BP Sullom Voe, Jolene Johnson from Brae, employed by NHS Shetland, won the trophy and a cheque for £300, while Jill Anderson from Burra (Scoop Wholefoods) and Michael More from Lerwick (SIC Leisure Services) were runners-up in this particular category. Jolene and Michael's training provider was Train Shetland while Jill's was Support Training (Shetland) Ltd.

Burra featured again in the next category the 'Skillseeker - Outstanding Effort' Award, sponsored by BP Sullom Voe, with Leon Chen from Hamnavoe, employed by 'No Catch Ltd', picking up the top award - the winners' trophy and a cheque for £250, followed by runners-up Peter Hall from Lerwick (Queens and Grand Hotels) and Laurence Johnson from Mossbank (Ocean Kinetics). Again the training provider for the winner and runners up in this section was Train Shetland.

In the final two categories sponsored by Support Training (Shetland) Ltd, Denise Henry from Aith, employed by the Co-op in Lerwick, triumphed in the 'Get Ready For Work - Trainee of the Year' category winning a trophy and a cheque for £250, while Isabelle Spence from Unst, employed by P & T Coaches on the island, won the 'Training For Work - Trainee of the Year' award, a trophy and again a cheque for £250. Training provider for both winning trainees was 'Support Training (Shetland) Ltd.

Rachel Hunter from HIE Shetland said: "There has been a very high quality of nominations this year and the judging panel, which selected all the winners and runners up, had an unenviable task in choosing the actual winners from the impressive number and quality of trainee nominations received. All the winners had not only demonstrated high levels of personal commitment to their training programme, but had also brought significant benefits to their employers in a number of highly positive ways." The 2007 awards ceremony had originally been due to take place in the Clickimin Centre on November 12, but was cancelled due to the tragic road accidents during that period which claimed the lives of three young Modern Apprentices.