Big Longford Welcome for 'Dan the Man' winner of the Screwfix Trade Apprentice Competition

There was a rousing homecoming celebration in Newtowncashel on Sunday, May 11 to honour Longford apprentice Dan O’Shea (20) after he was crowned the winner of this year’s Screwfix Trade Apprentice competition in London.

Dan, who is currently completing an electrical apprenticeship at GRETB, fended off the challenge of nine other trade apprentices from across the UK and Ireland to win the Screwfix Trade Apprentice 2025 final which was held in Google’s offices in the English capital on Wednesday (May 7) & Thursday (May 8).

Dan wins an incredible prize bundle of tools, training and technology worth €10,000 – while also scooping €2,000 worth of Screwfix vouchers for his college.

Dan is an electrical apprentice who the judges said ticked all the boxes with his drive to diversify the industry.

A spokesperson for Screwfix said, "The trade is lucky to have Dan, and we’re looking forward to where this accolade will take him.

"Well done to Dan, and a big shout out to our nine other finalists who were whittled down from more than 2000 applicants to get to the final!"

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Dan was overwhelmed by the reception he received upon his return home.

“It was brilliant. I was nervous going to it, but once I went, it was amazing who was there and all the kind words given.”

With the award setting him up for life and acknowledging his talents in electrical engineering, Dan hopes to get a distinction once completing his apprenticeship, as well as starting his own business in the future, which is one of his future goals.

He has been doing his apprenticeship for two years this October.

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The inspirational young man came upon the Screwfix Trade Apprentice competition via social media, and decided to take the chance in applying for it.

The first stage involved completing an application form. Having passed that, he went onto the semi-finals, which required a 20-minute interview with judges and two videos. These videos were open-ended questions, such as why he would like to win the competition.

In the final, the chosen candidates had to innovate a tool that would make a person’s life easier, and then submit another video. The candidates were narrowed down to ten.
They went to London for the final with another interview and the judges declared Dan the winner.
Dan reflected, “When I submitted my application, I never dreamed I’d make it to the final. It was so exciting to be representing Longford.

“The electrical industry is highly rewarding to work in, and to be recognised for my skills and dedication at this level is such a huge compliment.

“The competition was an incredible opportunity to showcase what I’ve learned so far, while highlighting the importance of trade apprentices in shaping the future of the electrical industry – and I’m looking forward to taking my creativity and skills to a new level.”

Since starting his electrical apprentice journey, Dan has developed a keen interest in green energy and sustainability, hoping to incorporate this into his future career.

He is currently studying Phase 2 of his apprenticeship and intends to complete a project management course to further develop his skills with a view to ultimately setting up his own business.

A strong advocate for apprenticeships, he believes that work needs to be done to change the perception around apprenticeships and shift the stigma around vocational paths.

His passion, initiative and relentless work ethic saw him stand out in the semi-final heats, after being selected from more than 2,000 applications.

To gain this prestigious award shows signs of a promising future for this young Fort Hill, Newtowncashel man.
Humble and calm in response to his win, 'Dan the Man' has proven that his work is going to reach great heights.