Creative Alliance Apprentice Wins: Creative & Digital Apprentice 2016 Award

Creative Alliance Apprentice Wins: Creative & Digital Apprentice 2016 Award

Last night, the Creative Alliance team attended the Asian Apprenticeship Awards at their first ceremony in Birmingham. The awards put on an excellent showcase of Asian talent within the apprenticeship community, praising both employers and apprentices for their contributions. The brisk winter night was cast aside by the warm reception and delightfully cosy atmosphere as employers and apprentices gathered and mingled for this unique celebration of an under-represented group.

The Creative Alliance team were delighted to accompany our very own nominee for the Creative and Digital Apprentice Award, Lubna Suleman, who went on to win her category. Everybody on the team was bursting with pride as Lubna made her way to the stage and humbly accepted her award from the presenters.

“I wasn’t expecting it, so I was a bit surprised. I felt happy at the same time because the people that were around me were so excited,” said Lubna when asked how she felt upon receiving her award.

The Asian Apprenticeships Awards ceremony has received a lot of positive feedback about the representation it offers to the Asian community. “Asians are under-represented, especially in the apprenticeship area,” explained Lubna. “The fact that there was a whole ceremony dedicated to Asian apprentices is great as it represents the diversity in Birmingham and the achievements of young Asian people in this city.”

Lubna began her Digital Marketing Level 3 Apprenticeship with Creative Alliance in November 2014 and immediately assumed the role of Recruitment Assistant after completing her qualification. Lubna then decided to push forward yet again by pursuing a Digital Marketing Level 4 Apprenticeship in October 2016, showing her compassion and drive to achieve and advance. She expressed, “Asians aren’t given the opportunity to explore apprenticeships because it’s all about university. Trying to explain it to an Asian parent can be difficult, so I feel that I’ve been quite lucky that I didn’t face any objections from my family.” She continued, “A lot of people assume apprenticeships aren’t as worthwhile as university qualifications, but I think if you’re doing the right apprenticeship with the right employer, it’s definitely a valuable experience.”

Company manager Sarah Whitehouse, who nominated Lubna for the Creative and Digital category, explained, “It was a very easy choice to make. Lubna is a great example of how an apprenticeship can compliment and build upon an individual skill set by encouraging their learning, knowledge and role within a business.”

For the Creative Alliance team, the night couldn’t have been a greater success. Sarah spoke for everybody when saying, “the team are very proud that Lubna has received this award, and we believe it is a well-deserved accolade.”

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