Alexia Williams, who joined Rolls-Royce as an Engineering Degree Apprentice in 2018, won the award after making a number of significant contributions to Rolls-Royce including: completing over 100 hours of STEM engagement to bring younger generations to the apprenticeship route; managing a team of 60 people as part of her STEM team lead role as part of the Rolls-Royce stand at the Royal International Air Tattoo in 2022 and 2023; and leading the Rolls-Royce Apprenticeship Open Evening, playing a key role organising content and materials for the event as well as – at short notice – coordinating the entire open evening set-up on behalf of the Bristol site.
Alexia has been described by her colleagues as a ‘true ambassador for apprenticeships’, displaying ‘well-executed planning, resourcefulness and pragmatism’ and ‘leadership skills that have exceeded expectations.’
On receiving the award, Alexia said: “It’s such an honour to be chosen as Apprentice of the Year. This award recognises the hard work I have put in to help promote the apprenticeships and STEM to the wider community out of Rolls-Royce and has empowered me to do even more in the future.”
Insider Media invited entries in the 11 award categories and brought together a group of independent regional experts to scrutinise, assess and evaluate them to determine the winners.
Entrants spanned from the length and breadth of the South West and showcased the incredible innovation and growth being experienced by a variety of regional manufacturers across multiple sectors including food and drink, digital engineering and sustainability.