Business analyst White will complete the final year of his apprenticeship with IBM in Warwickshire next month.
He said: “My apprenticeship finishes on February 5 so I am looking to progress within IBM. I have been lucky enough to travel on a couple of occasions to Slovakia and would love to meet different customers in other locations – this award might help me towards that goal.”
He added: “My message to young people thinking about future career options is to keep an open mind. I had a very narrow mind around apprenticeships but when I began looking into them I realised a modern apprenticeship is nothing like the stereotypical image they sometimes have. It is worth considering as a great alternative to university. It has certainly worked out for me.”
EAL, the specialist awarding organisation for industry, sponsors the Advanced Apprentice of the Year Award to help inspire young people to follow the vocational route into a career as opposed to just considering university.
EAL managing director, Julia Chippendale, who presented the award, said: “Josh was a very worthy winner. He is a fantastic role model for the future generation – we need more young people like him to take apprenticeships to ensure the UK has the skills it needs to succeed.
“It was also fantastic to see so many of the employers we work with recognised and inspiring to know we are at the heart of apprenticeships.”
The glittering evening was co-hosted by Lizzie Moffat, a Vauxhall apprentice who was a founder member of the Industry Apprentice Council founded and supported by EAL and the Semta Group.
