Apprentices champion presented with MBE

Roy Cavanagh, training and education executive at Cheshire-based construction firm Seddon, has received his MBE at Buckingham Palace from the Prince of Wales.

Cavanagh has worked for Seddon for 40 years and won several awards for his dedication to training in the industry. He has led the employers group for the 14-19 Diploma in Construction & the Built Environment since 2007, and also chairs the North West Construction Skills Network and Salford and East Manchester Construction Partnerships. He represented the UK contractors group on the government's construction task force and has led industry campaigns to help reverse the trend of declining apprenticeship numbers.

Cavanagh said: "Whilst I am obviously delighted with this award, huge credit should go to Seddon, who as a company, have trained extensively for over 60 years. Young people are really keen to join our industry and more employers should stop and think who gave them a chance."

Jonathan Seddon, MD of Seddon, said: We are all very proud of Roy's achievements and the positive effect he has had on the lives of so many young people. His work has helped to shape their futures and secure the skill base, not just for our own company, but for the industry as a whole, something which has been rightly acknowledged by his MBE."

Seddon Group spends £4m a year on training and workforce development, including an award-winning apprenticeship programme.