A PROMISING mechanic has a bright future after winning the Daily Echo’s Apprentice of the Year competition.

Craig Adams, who works at Excelsior Coaches in Bournemouth, topped our poll after votes from readers.

He has now been handed £100 to spend on materials to help his training, which has been matched by both Excelsior and his training provider, Paragon, giving him a grand total of £300.

Craig, 21, said: “I will be spending it on tools and other pieces of equipment that will help me with my job. It’s a real boost for me.”

The apprentice was handed the cheque, a souvenir front page of the Daily Echo and a certificate by group editor Toby Granville.

Toby said: “It’s the first time the Daily Echo has had an Apprentice of the Year award and the reason we’re doing it is to recognise the support people like Craig are giving companies and he’s a shining example of what our award represents.”

Kathy Tilbury, MD of Excelsior, said Craig had gained votes from some of the industry’s top figures.

She added: “Craig came to us not knowing what route he wanted to take in his career and we’ve now got a fully fledged apprentice engineer.”

“When he’s not hands-on in the garage of the coach firm, Craig trains with Paragon Skills at their Boscombe base.

“I would like to say thank-you to Excelsior for taking Craig into employment.”

“The endeavour that Craig has put in has highlighted his skills and potential,” said Andy McMinn, engineering operations director at Paragon.

Once he has finished his apprenticeship, Craig will become a full-time employee at Excelsior.