YALE College Engineering and Construction Faculty’s awards ceremony was an evening of surprises and rewards for some highly skilled students.

David “Josh” Williams, of Coedpoeth, received the sought-after UniBond award.

Josh took a life-changing route by giving up his job in engineering manufacture to enrol on a full-time foundation construction award at Yale College.

Training to be a plasterer, David has passed the first year and, with another year to go, has already been given a chance to prepare to set up on his own, after being awarded the UniBond £5,000 prize. This annual award goes to the student who has drawn up the best business plan.

Matthew Evans received the Aaron Dixon Memorial Award for Brickwork; Joanne Copping the Bromborough Paints Award for Painting and Decorating; Matthew Hughes the Crown Paints Award for Painting and Decorating and the Yale Departmental Award for Painting and Decorating was awarded to David Sharp; Travis Perkins Award for most promising first year full-time student in Wood Occupations went to Wayne Fletcher.

John Bromfield, director of Colomendy Ltd in Corwen and chairman of the Manchester-based North West Construction Group, presented the awards. He had employed and sponsored Aaron Dixon a former Yale student who tragically died in a car accident early this year.

Maggie Smith, assistant director of Faculty of Engineering and Construction said: “John remains an advocate for the quality of work our students attain.”