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Apprentice of the Year


Ruta Hromova


The title of Apprentice of the Year - which recognises young people who have made an exceptional contribution to their workplace - went to Ruta Hromova of PTS Training Academy. Ruta works in a varied and challenging role


for PTS Training Academy where she assists in the development of contracts, service standards and monitoring. She attends external contract and monitoring reviews and provides advice, guidance and practical help in relation to issues in those areas. She also implements the approved eligibility and referral process for students on a range of funded programmes.


The young professional, who came to the UK


as a child and had to learn English as it was not her first language, inspired the judges by forging a career for herself through her incredible hard work and will to succeed. Ruta received huge applause as she collected


her award from Gemma Wells, of award sponsors Goodwill Solutions Learning Academy CIC. She said: “I’m shocked and overwhelmed but


very happy to have won. What I’ve gained most from being an apprentice is the industry knowledge which has been passed on to me. “I would like to progress my career and


become a team leader at PTS Training Academy because I really enjoy working there.”


Finalists


Isobel McColgan, Northampton College Isobel McColgan started her apprenticeship straight after finishing her GCSEs in 2018 aged 16. From the start she was confident, proactive, a great team player and a very quick learner. She has been keen to develop her knowledge by working across other college departments. Isobel spreads the message positively and enthusiastically about apprenticeships within Northampton schools and local partner events to promote the benefits of work experience and apprenticeships. Isobel has already become a significant contributor to the organisation and the wider business and community since she started.


Jacob Upton, Variohm Eurosensor


Jacob Upton is Variohm’s third apprentice and has really excelled since moving over to the engineering team on a full-time basis during the last 12 months. As a key member of the team, his main responsibilities are to provide technical support


to the sales team, using his problem-solving skills to design bespoke products across a range of sensor types. Jacob has been responsible for the full lifecycle of many projects, often with several concurrent projects. This has sometimes proved challenging due to the time constraints, but Jacob is always willing and able to rise to these demands.


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What the judges said: “Ruta came to the UK as a


child and had to learn English as it wasn't her first language. Her journey inspired us


because it demonstrated the incredible opportunity


apprenticeships provide to young people.”


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