Motor Vehicle Apprentice Places Third in National Halfords Competition

Sydney Gleeson-Greeves has achieved a remarkable third-place finish in the national Halfords Apprentice of the Year competition, standing out among over 200 apprentices nationwide.

Sydney progressed through a number of rounds, including a quiz on cars, a written statement about herself and being an apprentice and a vigorous round in Northampton, where Sydney had 40 minutes to find the faults on four different cars.  Sydney was then invited to Carlisle to visit the Pirelli Factory, the last tyre manufacturing factory left in the UK. 

The event began with a presentation about the history of Pirelli, followed by a series of engaging icebreaker activities and team challenges. Sydney then went on to tour the factory, where apprentices witnessed the complete tyre production process and were allowed to ask questions and deepen their understanding of the industry. Following the tour, finalists were interviewed, which determined the final rankings. 

Reflecting on the experience, Sydney said: “I never in a million years thought I’d do anything like this – especially considering I never originally wanted to be a mechanic. To come third out of 200 apprentices is just unbelievable.” 

Peterborough College is incredibly proud of this achievement and continues supporting apprentices across various industries in gaining real-world experience and achieving national recognition.