IMI Apprentice of the Year 2024: Holly Darvell

We are pleased to announce that the winner of the IMI's Apprentice of the Year Award went to Holly Darvell. 

When Holly started her apprenticeship with Halfords she learned a good deal in just a few months of shadowing her mentor, such as service routines and how to use the sprig compressor. As she did more complex jobs more frequently, she gained a higher confidence level and is now able to work efficiently by herself. 

When the workshop is quiet she often will work with her mentor and help him with his jobs and is always the first one to offer help if one of the technicians says they need a hand. She also does a lot of overtime on the weekends to help cover if someone is of on holiday, which is a great help to everyone. Holly is always coming forward with new ideas to help the workplace run more smoothly, and is never afraid to raise concerns. 

Holly was chosen out of 120 Halfords apprentices after an online test to compete in the Apprentice of the Year Award, where she won first place. Following this, she took part in a televised interview on apprenticeships. 

Being a woman in a predominantly male environment is a challenge, one that Holly rises to consistently, working at the same level of many experienced technician. Her weekly sales figures are always impressive. She goes the extra mile to encourage more women to enter the industry. Specifically, she was part of a programme which involved going into primary schools to talk about the industry to young students who may not know how exciting and diverse the industry is.

This level of dedication, technial knowledge and practical skill is always encouraging to see. We would like to congratulate Holly on her win, and we look forward to following her career as it progresses.