BPP Apprentice of the Year Awards: 2021 Winners

BPP are pleased to announce winners that took part in the 2021 BPP Apprentice of the Year Awards. There has been an incredible amount of nominations received with talent being recognised across a range of industry sectors.

Our annual awards acknowledge the apprentices and employers who have gone the extra mile throughout the delivery or work during an Apprenticeship. Although the pandemic has made this year extremely difficult, we have seen and heard many inspiring stories about the incredible work from our apprentices and how this has positively impacted their workplace.

This year we have introduced a new category, the Resilience Award, which aims to highlight those who have been passionate about their own journey and building a future through the apprenticeship despite the challenges this year has brought.

We have also chosen to dedicate the Apprentice Champion of the Year Award to one of our coaches, Suzanne Finch, who sadly passed away in 2021. Suzanne advocated the power of Apprenticeships and education, having pledged her life to helping others succeed. Her spirit and personality are heavily missed, so the BPP Group wanted to ensure an annual award continued to recognise those who champion Apprenticeships in the way Suzanne always did.

The Suzanne Finch Apprentice Champion Award celebrates someone who has gone above and beyond for Apprenticeships and for our Apprentices. They are a true advocate for furthering the future of others and promoting the value of Apprenticeships and Apprentices in and out of the workplace. The Suzanne Finch Apprentice Champion truly encompasses the spirit of ‘Apprenticeships’.

Categories include Apprentice of the Year, Employer of the Year, Suzanne Finch Apprentice Champion of the Year, the Inclusion and Diversity Champion, and BPP’s new addition in the Resilience Award.

The judging panel this year included;

• Sally-Ann Burnett – Deputy Vice Chancellor

• James Hammill – Executive Director of Apprenticeships

• Nikki Botterill – Director of Apprenticeship Quality

• Farhia Abukar  - Diversity and Inclusion Officer

• Sarah-Jane Compson- Head of Safeguarding

Suzanne Finch Apprentice Champion of the Year Award

1st - Samantha Ross (Bevan Brittan LLP)
1st – Michelle Tunney (Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP)
2nd- Maia Crockford (Dac Breachcroft LLP)
3rd – Tori Stammers (Eversheds Sutherland)

Apprentice of the Year - Level 3

1st – Craig Heron (Bank of America)
2nd – Olivia Gikas (Marsh Limited)
3rd – Megan Pitt (Cripps Pemberton Greenish LLP)

Apprentice of the Year - Level 4

1st - Georgia Brown (Grant Thornton)
2nd – Vincent Vinnicombe (Royal Bank of Canada)
3rd – Maisie Adams (Royal Bank of Canada)

Apprentice of the Year - Level 5+

1st – Tegan Johnson (Kennedys Law LLP)
2nd – Samantha Ross (Bevan Brittan LLP)
3rd – Paige Cairns (Criminal Defence Milton Keynes)

Inclusion and Diversity Champion of the Year

1st – Zoe Lunn (Hill Dickinson)
2nd – Hosanna Adeniji (Willis Towers Watson)
3rd – Kajal Patel (Mazars LLP)

Small/Medium Apprentice Employer of the Year

1st – Rhotic Media
2nd – Legal Advice Centre (University House)

Large Apprentice Employer of the Year

1st – Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP
2nd – Eversheds Sutherland (International LLP)
3rd – Willis Towers Watson

Resilience Award

1st – Georgina Ellis (RSM)
2nd – Sam Robertson (NatWest)
3rd- Hannah Campbell (Horwich Farrelly Solicitors)

All first place and runner up apprentices and employers will receive an award certificate and a letter of congratulations.

Find out more about our range of apprenticeships here.