Apprentice Awards

AStaffordshire University degree apprentice, who works at aStone company, has beenrecognised with a prestigious national award.

Sally Parker had cause for a double celebration after being named ‘Higher &Degree Apprentice of theYear’ at the Nuclear Skills Awards 2021 recently and completing herTech Industry Gold Digital Degree Apprenticeship with first class honours in the same week.

The 21-year-old from Uttoxeterjoined Stonebased firm Capula in 2017 and has beencompleting adegree in Digital &Technology Solutions alongside her role as aJunior IT Engineer.

The UK Nuclear Skills Awards, organised by NSAN and Cogent Skills, celebrates “exceptional individuals and companies in the nuclear sector from across the country” and winners announced in virtual ceremony last month.

Sally said: “Four years of hard work have now paid off and I’m really proud to be recognised with this award. It is abit overwhelming because Iwasn’t expecting to win. “After Ifinished my A-Levels Iwanted to get a job instead of going back into full time education and so doing an apprenticeship was ideal for me. “It has sometimes been achallengetowork and study at the same time but bothCapula and the University have been really supportive and have helped to keep track of my progress.”

Staffordshire University provides more than 20 different Higher and Degree Apprenticeships for more than 200 businessesacross avariety of industries.

The work-based route to higher education offers apprenticeson-the-job training alongside a qualification, while helping employers to develop their workforce and shape the future of their business.

Capula and Staffordshire University have been working together to combat anational shortage of engineers and to drive up the number of skilled apprenticesinthe region.

Sally regularly visits schools as aSTEM ambassador and hopes that her success will help to inspire more pupils to follow in herfootsteps and consider careersinscience, technology, engineering and mathematics.

She said: “I don’t think anybody expected me to be whereIamnow. Ihavedyslexia and at high school Iwas predicted Ds and Es in my exams so had to take part in summer school to get into Sixth Form. “STEM subjectsare often male-dominated which can be intimidating for girls butI’m proof that it shouldn’t stop them. You don’t always have to get top grades to do well,itisabout finding what’s right for you and where you take yourself.”

Robin Oldham, Course Director: Computer Science and Digital Apprenticeships at Staffordshire University, said: “Ever since Imet Sally Ihave been impressed with her approach to learning. Iquote Sallyinmany of my meetings withpotential apprentices and current ones to make the point that it isn’t easy, but you can achieve amazing things if you put in the time and effort. Ican now complete the story with Sally’s phenomenal first-class Degree Apprenticeship profile and UK Nuclear Skills Award –inspirational.”

Fellow Capula employeeJack Senior who undertook an Engineering apprenticeship with Staffordshire University was also afinalist in the Nuclear Graduate of the Year category at the awards.

Steve Tellwright,HRDirector at Capula, said: “I’m extremely proud of Sally and Jack as they have both worked exceptionally hard and deserve every bit of recognition forgetting to this final stage in the competition. For Sally to win is agreat achievement against some fierce opposition. She is agreat ambassador for the company and for the value of apprenticeships.”

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