A YOUNG Worcester woman is flying high after winning a major apprentices award.

Lucinda Dancer, aged 20, whose family home is in Warndon Villages but who works for Airbus in Bristol, beat off stiff opposition to win the higher apprentice of the year award at the south west regional heat of the National Apprenticeship Awards.

Organised by the National Apprenticeship Service, the awards celebrate the achievements of apprentices and the businesses that employ them.

Miss Dancer will now represent the south west at the National Apprenticeship Awards, to be held in London on Wednesday, June 29.

Born and bred in Worcester, she attended Blessed Edward Oldcorne Catholic College, where she was deputy headgirl, and then Worcester Sixth Form College.

While at both establishments she did work experience with Airbus and then joined the company to study for a higher apprenticeship in engineering and manufacturing technologies, specialising in customer services and aftercare support.

She said: “With Airbus being a global company, the opportunity to travel was a big incentive.”

Miss Dancer is now in the final four months of her apprenticeship with the aircraft manufacturer and has already completed her level 4 NVQ to a high standard – five months ahead of schedule.

“I had no pre-conceived aspirations about the apprenticeship awards, so when I heard my name it was lovely, but a complete shock,” she said.

“The response from my colleagues has been wonderful. I returned to work to an inbox full of messages of congratulations.”

Airbus apprentice manager Tony Rooke said: “Lucinda is an outstanding apprentice and we had no hesitation in putting her forward for this award.

“She has done exceptionally well to win and we are very proud of her. We’re all looking forward to the National Awards now, where she will not only be representing Airbus, but the entire south west.”

John Chudley, south west director for the National Apprenticeship Service, said: “This year’s awards were a terrific showcase of the wealth of apprenticeship talent across the south west.

“Given the volume and high calibre of entries we received, I’d like to extend my congratulations to Lucinda for her ongoing commitment to apprenticeships.”

In the Midlands region, the Worcester News is backing the NAS initiative of 100 in 100, which aims to have 100 companies committed to taking on new apprentices in 100 days.

This week, a new name has been added to our roll of honour – the Community Housing Group, Foley Business Park, Kidderminster, which has signed up to the scheme.