IBM apprentice Josh White has been named EAL Advanced Apprentice of the Year 2015. A business analyst from Coventry, he beat off stiff competition from finalists Lauren Tiller and April Bell at the National Apprenticeship Awards, held at the Grosvenor Hotel in London.

Mr White, who will complete the final year of his apprenticeship with IBM in Warwickshire this month, attended Bablake School in Coventry and is a volunteer at Grapevine, helping young people with disabilities.
“My message to young people thinking about future career options is to keep an open mind.

I was somewhat narrow-minded regarding apprenticeships, but when I began looking at them in more detail, I realised that a modern apprenticeship is nothing like the stereotypical image many people have of them. It is worth considering one as a great alternative to university. It has certainly worked out for me.”

EAL (www.eal.org.uk), 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.

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 that the UK has the skills it needs to succeed.”