An aspiring young accountant from Birmingham has been recognised with an apprentice of the the year award from social mobility charity Leadership Through Sport & Business.
Emma Biggs, from Erdington, was part of the charity's program to connect bright young candidates from under-represented backgrounds to meaningful professional careers.
The 23 year old is an accounts and audit assistant with RMY Clements in the city and was selected for the award as a result of her dedication and achievement.
She said: "I was quite shocked to win - it was a surprise. The decision to join Leadership Through Sport & Business definitely worked out.
"I was just working in a bowling alley not really thinking about my future but now everything has changed.
"I get experience across different areas of the business which has helped me decide where I want to focus in the future.
"Becoming a chartered accountant feels like a big goal, and far away, but as a result of this I'm much more positive. I have a direction and a focus. I know I can do it."
The charity prepares and supports young people across the UK who face barriers to beginning professional careers.
Intensive training develops them personally and professionally and has helped some of them find positions with firms such as NatWest, RSM and Mazars as well as supporting them in the first year of their career.
Charity chief executive Paul Evans added: "Graduation for this intake was a little delayed for obvious reasons but we're delighted to celebrate their achievement.
"It's important to recognise the efforts of young people breaking into professional careers and making the case for major firms to think more broadly about their recruitment strategies.
"Emma is a great example of the sort of commitment and talent that can be found."
He added: "We're seeing the consequence of coronavirus disproportionately impacting the young.
"We face an unequal, delayed recovery, with the most vulnerable at risk of ‘economic long-covid'.
"Youth unemployment figures in particular indicate the nature of the slow crisis which will follow, unless we make critical interventions to safeguard the future workforce.
"The business case for diversity of experience has been made, with Emma just one of hundreds of our young people who have repaid an employer's faith in them with hard work and ability.
"But as society responds to the pandemic, we need to make it easy for companies to invest in the communities hardest hit and make sure young people who need additional support find it."
