Winning Ways

18 November 2010

More than fifty new Diploma holders were presented with their certificates at this year’s Guild of Architectural Ironmongers (GAI) Education Awards Lunch sponsored by HÄFELE. The Diploma is the culmination of three years of study for the successful students and represents one of the most respected qualifications in the building industry.

The ceremony also saw the three highest-placed students collect their prizes, plus the award of the Pinnacle Award to Cheryl Flinders from GEZE UK Ltd who achieved the best aggregate score over the three years of the education programme

Despite the straightened times in the construction industry, this year’s GAI Education Awards Lunch was sold out, a reflection of how highly regarded the event is as a recognition of the students’ hard work and an excellent networking opportunity. It was held at the Royal Garden Hotel in London on 4 November with the certificates and prizes being presented by ex-England and Leicester rugby star Austin Healey,

Fifty-five diplomas were awarded on the day with an impressive standard being achieved by the students in their exams. As part of the final year, students must sit a Business Studies Exam plus, crucially, a Scheduling paper where they must produce an ironmongery schedule for a specific project. "The standards on the Scheduling paper were especially impressive this year," says Keith Maer, the GAI’s Education Manager. "The top scores are usually between 85% and 88% - a remarkable compliment to the examination team for consistently putting a challenging paper before students. This year the top papers were true to form except one outstanding performer – a staggering almost 95%."

The Prize winners were:

Pinnacle Award: Cheryl Flinders, GEZE UK Ltd
Level Three
Gold Medal: Cheryl Flinders, GEZE UK Ltd
Silver Medal: David Rogers, HAFELE UK Ltd
Bronze Medal: Luis Fernandes Joao, Royde and Tucker Ltd

Level Two:
1st: Pradeep Thalapilly, HAFELE Kuwait

Level One:
1st: Simon Oliver, Price and Oliver Ltd

The Pinnacle Award, sponsored generously by ASSA ABLOY was won by Cheryl Flinders, of GEZE UK Ltd.. This was particularly noteworthy since she works for a manufacturer and, as such, has no day-to-day experience of scheduling as an AI.

The Pinnacle Award, sponsored by ASSA ABLOY is part of the GAI’s ongoing commitment to excellence in education and training in the architectural ironmongery trade. It is won by the student who gains the best aggregate score over three years of the education programme and, as such, is a just reward for the best all-round achiever in the industry. The prize is a substantial travel voucher.

The GAI represents the majority of architectural ironmongers in the UK as well as the leading manufacturers of architectural ironmongery and is dedicated to raising standards and encouraging best practice in all aspects of the sector.

Photo caption: left to right: Austin Healey, Cheryl Flinders (Pinnacle Award Winner from GEZE UK) Andrew Hall (President GAI) and David Wigglesworth (MD of Union Architectural Hardware and Adam’s Rite Europe)

Issued on behalf of: The Guild of Architectural Ironmongers
t: 020 7790 3431 e:gary.amer@gai.org.uk