A pair of aspiring young accountants from the North West have been honoured with an Apprentice of the Year award from social mobility charity Leadership Through Sport & Business (LTSB).
Connor Howell, 21, from Fallsworth in Greater Manchester, was part of LTSB’s programme to connect bright young candidates from under-represented backgrounds to meaningful professional careers.
Connor, who was previously shortlisted for Apprentice of the Year in the Made in Manchester Awards, was selected by LTSB for dedication and achievement in his role as finance analyst at TalkTalk.
James Pimblett, 20, from Eastham in Wirral, Merseyside, has also been recognised for dedication and achievement in his role as accounts advisor at DSG Chartered Accountants.
LTSB prepares and supports bright young people who face barriers to beginning professional careers. Intensive training develops them personally and professionally, from exclusive experiences with City In The Community and Liverpool FC Foundation to professional qualifications with the likes of Oldham College and Kaplan.
After helping find them roles in firms like NatWest, RSM and TalkTalk, LTSB continues to support the apprentices for the first year of their career.
Connor said: "I couldn’t believe it when I found out I won. My experience with LTSB has been beyond my expectations, so it was amazing to end with this award.
"The sessions we did with City In The Community really helped me develop my leadership ability.
"Particularly the coaching and mentoring qualifications. It made me realise I could take a more of a guidance role, even within my cohort. And now, at work, I’m still drawing on those experiences when I’m teaching excel tips."
James added: "Finding out I’d won was a shock really. But it’s also a great honour, and shows that all the hard work that goes in gets noticed."
James - who was congratulated at the ceremony by celebrity chef and Reds fan Simon Rimmer in a recorded message - sees the sessions with Liverpool FC Foundation as a turning point.
"Volunteering with the foundation pushed me out of my comfort zone. I didn’t think of myself as confident, but these experiences prepared me for the world of work."
LTSB CEO Paul Evans said: "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.
"Connor is a great example of the sort of commitment and talent that can be found if employers work with third sector organisations like LTSB.
"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."
LTSB is currently looking for employers in the North West who are interested in hiring for entry-level business and finance roles.
There are subsidies available to top up salaries to living wage, ensuring that young people can commit to their futures without financial pressure.
For more information e-mail careers@leadershipthroughsport.org
