Gareth Moor, 25, has never looked back since taking up a City and Guilds Apprenticeship in Electrical Engineering with Dougal and Railton in 2003.

He received the Advanced Apprentice of the Year accolade at the Apprenticeship Awards in 2007, became an approved electrician with the company, met Gordon Brown in 2008 and this summer he completed a foundation degree in Building Services and Engineering at Northumbria University.

And now Mr Moor is taking DIY to another level by doing much of the building work on a house in Elsdon, Northumberland, that he will own once it is finished in Spring 2010.

"Doing the apprenticeship and degree gave me the skills and knowledge I needed to build my own house," he said.

"I really liked that fact that I could earn whilst learning the key skills needed to enter the building trade and winning a national award really gave my confidence a boost.

"I think it is fantastic that young people are recognised for their contributions to UK businesses and the Apprenticeship Awards are also great at raising awareness of the apprenticeships on offer."

The Hepscott Park resident was invited to speak to Gordon Brown and other MPs about his apprenticeship at Westminster last year as part of the government's aim to increase the number of people starting them.

The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics revealed that a record 234,000 people started apprenticeship courses in the 2008/09 academic year, up by more than a third since 2007.

And employers and businesses of all sizes and across all sectors that employ apprentices can now nominate themselves or their apprentices for an accolade in the Apprenticeship Awards 2010.

The prizes will be judged across nine regions and winners will be taken through to a national award ceremony.

To enter, go to www.apprenticeships.org.uk/Awards