AN assistant quantity surveyor from Stourport has been recognised in the Duke of Gloucester's Young Achievers Scheme.

Jonathan Baylie won the surveying prize during an awards evening in London, as shortlisted candidates joined more than 200 senior industry figures and the Duke at the event.

The finalists were judged by a panel of industry experts through a rigorous process of presentations and interviews earlier in the year.

Mr Baylie gained a scholarship from a major construction contractor to give him the financial support to help him complete a degree from Loughborough University.

He said: "Being from a working class family, and with the cost of university fees increasing year on year, it was pivotal that I gained a scholarship."

He is now working at VINCI Construction UK and is responsible for the management of several large subcontract packages on site, which are valued at over £7 million. He also uses his time to encourage other young people into the industry.

He volunteers his time to work with construction industry charity, Construction Youth Trust, on its Budding Brunels scheme, which introduces school-aged pupils to careers in construction.

Mr Baylie has helped to select six school leavers from a Birmingham College for a weeks' worth of work experience. He also personally mentored two school leavers for a week, who were interested in pursuing a career in quantity surveying.

The Judges said: "Jonathan's passion for construction is inspiring. He clearly has boundless energy, which he funnels in the right direction, working hard to succeed at work, in his role as a construction ambassador for Construction Youth Trust and raising money for The Princes Trust.

"His enthusiasm is infectious and he clearly has the ability to inspire others. I have no doubt that he could be a powerful advocate for the industry among the young.

"Jonathon's energy, enthusiasm and commitment to developing new talent shone through. Jonathon has taken opportunity with both hands and clearly had a great future ahead of him."

The awards had five categories - design and architecture, construction delivery, engineering, surveying and project management. Winners each receive a cash prize and a package of support through the trust and development opportunities through a one-year mentoring programme to enable them to make even more impact in their future careers.

Other winners were:

Engineering: Victoria Martin, Expedition Engineering

Construction Delivery: Gary Fowler, J Breheny Contractors

Project Management: Harriet Bower, Balfour Beatty

Design and Architecture: Jordan Jones, AECOM

Highly commended:

Construction Delivery: Victoria Turner, United House

Engineering: Brett Holmes, BAM Nuttall

Surveying: Mohammed Usman Shah, Costain

Now in its third year, the scheme, with the support of trust's patron, te Duke of Gloucester, has been an opportunity for young professionals to be commended and celebrated for their achievements.

It particularly looked for young people who had overcome barriers to get to where they were and judges read applications from young people who had shown exceptional resilience and determination.

Construction Youth Trust executive director, Christine Townley said: "We are delighted with the success of our awards scheme, which has showcased again the exceptional young talent in construction today. Each of the winners has made significant achievements despite having to overcome challenges to get there.

"They have all shown real determination to succeed in their chosen career.

"As a charity we support young people from all walks of life to enter the construction industry and we hope that by showcasing what these young people have achieved and recognising any challenges they have overcome, that we can show the next generation of young professionals the wealth of opportunities available in the sector.

"We are extremely grateful to all of our sponsors, judges and our patron, HRH the Duke of Gloucester, for making these awards possible."

The awards were sponsored this year by CITB, KPMG, AECOM, Byrne Group, EC Harris and John Rowan and Partners.