A TEAM of nine apprentices from technology firm e2v have come runners-up in the search for the official ‘apprentice team of the year’ following a gruelling six month challenge against the country’s leading apprentice employers and training providers.

The team from Chelmsford was competing against eight other teams and raised over £3,000 for Haven Hospices and Cancer Research UK. It also completed two community projects which involved refurbishing Hatfield Peverel Cricket Club's pavilion and Chelmsford Scout Hut.

The team also took part in a two day adventure finale which culminated in a whaler boat race across Lake Windermere, the video of which can be seen below.

The eight finalists were selected from over 110 teams and 1,000 apprentices who entered the competition.

Since January, the competitors have staged more than 360 school visits to talk about the benefits of apprenticeships and delivered 60 community projects. In the finals, the teams also recruited over 50 new businesses to offer apprenticeships.

Team member, Chris Stubbs, said: “We’ve put a lot of time and dedication into the challenge and learnt a lot along the way including our leadership, team working and planning skills, we proved this by winning the final boat race overall.

“We’re really happy coming joint third with British Airways which just shows how close the competition really was.”

Russell Rickett spokesperson for e2v technologies congratulated their apprentices, adding: “Apprenticeships are a vital part of our organisation and to see our apprentices perform so well in the apprentice team of the year competition makes us all very proud.

“This is a huge achievement for both our organisation and our individual apprentices.”