UCL apprentice shortlisted for the prestigious BAME apprenticeship awards

The BAME Apprenticeship Awards showcase the outstanding work and achievements of apprentices from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic groups (BAME) and inspires BAME apprentices to reach their full potential. The awards also raise the profile of employers like UCL, who are championing the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

The winners will be announced on Wednesday 11 November.

Faiszarn’s journey – the story so far

To help address a growing technical skills gap, in 2018/19, UCL launched its flagship Mechanical Manufacturing Engineering Apprenticeship Programme and recruited four young apprentices with little or no work experience. The apprentices were placed into a rotational placements across The Bartlett School of Architecture, Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, School of Pharmacy and the Department of Mechanical Engineering, to get exposure to different team dynamics, workshops and interaction with various staff groups and student cohorts.

When asked why he chose UCL, Faiszarn said:

‘To be the best possible engineer, I believe you must work for a reputable institution like UCL, to push your development above and beyond. The Apprenticeship Programme at UCL is bespoke and unique; an apprentice is always learning and being tested. It allows you to work and earn, and obtain the necessary qualifications and on the job experience to accelerate into the working world.’

On being shortlisted as a Finalist:

‘I am privileged and very humbled to be nominated as a Finalist for this prestigious award, and to be part of a platform that promotes apprenticeships and positively changes narratives around them. I represent and proudly work for UCL. My passion and technical skills have grown exponentially during the programme and I have evolved on a personal level too. My gratitude goes out to those who have supplemented and nourished my learning and development getting to me to where I am today.’

On behalf of all of the technical apprentice programme managers involved - Ian Seaton, Niamh Grace and Isabel Goncalves, Peter Kelly remarked:

‘We are extremely proud to hear that Faiszarn has been shortlisted. He is a fantastic apprentice ambassador for UCL and we wish him every success for the award.

Faiszarn is the reason many of the staff in our technical teams want to be involved with apprenticeship training; he is a pleasure to teach and mentor. We have seen Faiszarn shine once given the support and training offered by our teams. He continually explores each new skill with vigour and excels when learning.

Lee Griffiths, NVQ assessor at our Training Provider, East Surrey College added:

‘We are delighted that Faiszarn’s hard work and achievements have been recognised on this scale. If he wins this award, it will be a stepping stone to a bigger and brighter future where there are no limits as to what he can achieve.’