From the moment Jordan Purcell stepped into his grandad’s workshop as a child he knew he wanted to be a joiner.

As a four-year-old he loved nothing more than getting his hands dirty turning wood. Thirteen years on he is four months into doing a job he loves at Leek-based wood door and window manufacturer Brookeswood Joinery Ltd.

The 17-year-old is a Joinery Apprentice and is currently helping carry out fittings on site as well as remedial works but he will take on more responsibilities as his apprenticeship progresses.

He’s already hit the ground running with colleagues calling him a breath of fresh air, enthusiastic, hard-working and incredibly skilled.

Jordan said: “I learnt a lot watching my grandad make things from wood in his workshop – so much so that growing up I always knew I wanted to follow in his footsteps.

“His craftsmanship always fascinated me, and I knew that I wanted to learn the skills he had and make the things he could.

“My apprenticeship is teaching me so much. The team here are great – I am learning new skills and enjoying every second at Brookeswood.

“For me there is no better job than this and I can’t wait to carry on learning and developing.”

Brookeswood Installation Manager Steve Roberts said: “Jordan really is a rising star. He’s one of the best apprentices we’ve ever had. He has a natural talent and his aptitude to learning is second to none.

“In terms of his ability, he is far more advanced than you would expect for someone his age. He really cares about what he’s doing, really wants to learn and isn’t afraid to ask questions.

“Jordan has an incredibly bright future ahead of him and we are delighted that he is part of the Brookeswood Team.”

Brookeswood Director Sue Brookes said: “Jordan might have only been with us for a few months but he’s quickly become an integral part of the team.

“He’s incredibly hard working, is a quick learner and is never afraid to go the extra mile. He’s quickly become a real asset to Brookeswood and has an exciting career ahead of him.”

Jordan’s Skills Coach at Stoke-on-Trent College said: “Jordan has a very good attitude towards attending the workplace and has good communication skills. His attendance in college is 100% and the report from his tutor is that he well behaved and a very capable individual in this trade, with great attention to details.

“I was very impressed with his attitude towards his apprenticeship. The feedback from his tutors is excellent and he is a committed young man who seems to know what he wants from this apprenticeship.”

Since the age of seven Jordan has enjoyed working on his own woodwork projects and in 2017, at the age of just ten, set up his own Instagram page to show off his craftmanship.

Jordan has been nominated in the Apprentice of the Year category of the Staffordshire University Business Awards.