News

Severn Trent apprentices Jazz Panesar and Serena Variah have successfully been shortlisted for this year’s BAME apprenticeship awards, beating out over 300 nominations from across the UK.

Jazz from Warwickshire has been shortlisted for the Digital Technology Apprentice award, while Serena, from Derbyshire, is up for the Engineering and Manufacturing Apprentice award.

Jazz said: “It feels amazing to be shortlisted!  I’m so proud to be representing the apprentice and BAME community as well as Severn Trent who has been supporting me every step of the way during my apprenticeship, especially given these unusual circumstances due to COVID-19.“I decided to take the apprenticeship route with support from my parents and pursue a career in IT. I’m hoping through my apprenticeship I can help break down stereotypes and inspire others and I look forward to share my story in the future too as I progress at Severn Trent.”

The national awards aim to showcase the outstanding work and achievement of apprentices from black and minority ethnic groups (BAME) and inspires BAME apprentices to reach their full potential and features awards in areas such as Finance, Health and Social care, Engineering and Manufacturing, and Creative and Digital. 

Serena, 19 adds: “Being shortlisted for the BAME apprenticeship awards is an amazing feeling, I feel proud of the work I do and that I can be a role model for other BAME people and females starting in the industry. 

“My next goals are to get a degree and become a charted project manager as well as continuing to promote apprenticeships and change the stereotype of what a project manager in an engineering company should look like. I’m looking forward to having a successful future as a project manager and hope to go into leadership one day.”

The rest of the Severn Trent apprentices on the scheme, are continuing to balance their day jobs with learning for their apprenticeships, with some already completing their programmes and rest set to complete their schemes as usual this year.

For more information about the apprenticeship scheme, visit: severntrent.com/apprentices