A year on from winning the Staff Development Award at the BIFA Freight Service Awards, Hemisphere Freight Services (HFS) is celebrating once again, with Jack Reddington being named Apprentice of the Year at this year’s awards.
It’s certainly been quite the journey for Jack, who joined HFS in September 2018 as part of our Ocean Freight apprenticeship scheme. Directors Louis and Andy Perrin were immediately struck by Jack’s strong communication skills and enthusiasm to take on new challenges, which made him the ideal fit for the apprenticeship.
Excelling as part of our exports team, it wasn’t long before Jack was called upon to help our recyclables team, which required emergency cover for a number of months. Despite the complex, fast-paced nature of recyclables logistics, Jack didn’t let it faze him, applying the learnings he’d taken from the exports department and getting stuck in without any fuss. He is now working towards his customs qualification with our imports team.
Jack’s enthusiasm for the industry saw him appointed vice chair for the East Anglia region of BIFA’s Young Forwarder Network (YFN) last year. In the role, he is working with BIFA to organise networking and education events for other aspiring freight forwarders in the region. Jack has also been heavily involved in fundraising efforts for Inspire Suffolk, HFS’ chosen charity, which included taking part in a Strictly Come Dancing event that raised £20,000.
An Award-Winning Apprentice
After being shortlisted for the award, Jack had to present to a panel of judges, sharing his learnings from the apprenticeship and offering insight on what the future looks like, both for himself and the industry as a whole. Commenting on Jack’s award, the judges said he demonstrated “enthusiasm, determination and courage”, describing him as “a superb ambassador for future apprenticeships”.
“Winning this award is a massive achievement on both a personal and professional level,” said Jack. “I have loved every second of my apprenticeship with HFS, and I am incredibly grateful for the support they have given me from day one. This is a fantastic industry to work in, and I am excited to see what the future holds.”
Louis Perrin, director of HFS, added: “Jack has been a great addition to our company, displaying a strong work ethic and enthusiasm to take on anything that’s thrown his way. As in every company, Jack’s success has not only been down to his hard work, but also the brilliant team who have supported him throughout his apprenticeship, as well as Carl Hobbis and the Young Forwarder Network which provides a great platform for people like Jack”.
HFS launched its logistics apprenticeship scheme 18 months ago in collaboration with BIFA. We are proud to operate in an industry that offers such fantastic opportunities to young people and look forward to welcoming our latest apprentice in the coming weeks.
To find out about the latest career and apprenticeship opportunities at HFS, please get in touch at info@hemisphere-freight.com.
