Chris Prendergast started his career as an apprentice electrician at Lloyd Morris Electrical (LME) in 1999.
More than 26 years later, he is now Installations Manager, sits on JTL’s Board as a Trustee Director, has completed leadership qualifications from ILM Level 4 through to Level 7 with Portal, and was shortlisted for Higher Apprentice of the Year at the Cambrian Training Apprenticeship, Employer and Skills Awards 2026.
After stepping into management during the COVID-19 pandemic, Chris recognised that the role demanded a different level of leadership. Like many organisations across the sector, LME was operating in an increasingly complex environment, balancing project delivery, rising costs, workforce pressure and long-term growth. Developing stronger internal leadership capability became increasingly important for the business.
While technically experienced, Chris wanted to strengthen his strategic thinking, communication and management skills to better support both his team and the wider business.
“To help the team lead people properly, you have to keep developing yourself too, realising you need to improve in certain areas should be seen as a strength and not a weakness.” said Chris. “I’ve spent 20 years building technical knowledge, but I wanted to become stronger strategically and learn how to support people better.”
Chris undertook ILM Level 4 and Level 5 Leadership and Management qualifications through Portal Training, completing the Level 5 apprenticeship in under 16 months while continuing to lead teams and oversee projects across the business.
Senior leaders at LME recognised significant changes in Chris’s leadership approach, including stronger communication, more effective team development and a more strategic approach to planning and decision-making. The qualification helped bridge the gap between technical expertise and strategic leadership, giving Chris greater confidence in areas such as people management, planning, communication and business decision-making.
“That strategic side of the qualification has made a huge difference,” Chris said. “You start looking at challenges and also the daily tasks differently. It gives you more confidence in your decision-making and helps you think longer-term.”
Chris is now developing an internal leadership programme to support electrical supervisors in improving their supervision and leadership skills, helping strengthen progression pathways and future leadership capability across the organisation.
His experience has made him a strong champion of apprenticeships and workforce development across the business. Today, he leads an Electrical Installation apprenticeship programme that currently has 12 apprentices. In addition, four employees are now undertaking higher-level project management apprenticeships through Portal Training, while a further two are completing degree apprenticeships with Wrexham University.
Alongside leading people and projects, Chris completed his qualifications during a particularly challenging period for the industry. Rising inflation and fluctuating material costs created major pressures across the sector, with steel and copper prices changing rapidly. Chris used approaches developed during his ILM studies to help strengthen forecasting, planning and business decision-making during an unpredictable economic period.
Completing the ILM Level 7 in Strategic Leadership and Management marked another significant milestone in Chris’s career. Designed for senior leaders responsible for organisational strategy and performance, the qualification has further strengthened Chris’s strategic thinking, leadership capability and ability to influence change across the business.
Having started his own career as a JTL apprentice, Chris’s appointment to JTL’s Board as Trustee Director marks a full-circle moment, helping shape leadership pipelines and apprenticeship culture himself.
Daniel Lawson, Management Assessor at Portal Training, said: “Chris’s success is incredibly well deserved. From the moment he started the leadership qualifications, it was clear he was fully committed to developing not only himself, but the people and organisation around him too. He is a fantastic example of modern leadership in practice.”
Gwawr Booth, Managing Director of Portal, added: “What stands out most about Chris is that despite everything he’s already achieved in his career, he still wants to keep learning, improving and raising standards. His progression from apprentice electrician to senior leader to Board Trustee and Higher Apprentice of the Year finalist is a huge achievement and one the whole team at Portal is incredibly proud of.”
