A Sellafield apprentice met Prime Minister David Cameron this week at a special Downing Street reception designed to showcase apprenticeships.

Philip Marwood was hand-picked to meet Mr Cameron on Monday to discuss what it means to be an apprentice, and debate how the Government, apprentices and businesses can do more to promote apprenticeships.

The reception was organised to highlight the amount of new apprentices being training by employers like Sellafield, and also gave the Prime Minister the opportunity to reveal the new UK Apprenticeship Delivery Board.

Philip, a mechanical design apprentice, 22, from Warrington was accompanied by Sellafield training manager Steve Bewsher.

Mr Bewsher said that Philip was chosen because of how proactive he has been in his apprenticeship, taking a ‘big brother’ role and nurturing fellow students.

Several major employers in the UK also attended the reception, including Adecco, the Ministry of Defence, Deloitte, Greene King, and Barclays.

Philip said: “It’s such an honour to be invited to number ten to talk to David Cameron about my experiences as an apprentice and how together we can inspire young people to see apprenticeships as a great route to their future career.

“I’ve walked past Downing Street many times and never would I have expected anything like this to happen to me.”

Philip didn’t take a conventional route into his apprenticeship, working in various jobs including an accountant traineeship before finding his calling on the Sellafield Ltd mechanical design apprenticeship in 2014.

He added: “My apprenticeship has been the best start on the career ladder I could have wished for. I have gained skills, knowledge and confidence that I would never have got at university and that’s why I am so passionate about promoting apprenticeships.”

Sellafield Ltd welcome 165 more apprentices will in September 2016 – taking the number in training past 500 – a record number for Sellafield Ltd.

Mr Bewsher said: “We chose Philip to meet the Prime Minister because he is extremely motivated and proactive in his apprenticeship.

“Because he’s a little bit older than the other mechanical design apprentices he has taken on a big brother role, taking them under his wing and giving them advice if they have any problems.