Magic Mustafa
A boost in confidence after being nominated for a prestigious award has led Mustafa Khan to target a place as a future leader of Royal Mail.
Mustafa, a delivery line manager at Enfield Delivery Office, is one of three colleagues shortlisted in the BAME Apprenticeship Awards, and is a finalist in the Transport and Logistics category.
Colleagues Daniel Kolahi, whose story you can read here, and Ashaan Grewal – more here – are finalists in the Engineering and Manufacturing apprentices category, while Royal Mail Group has been shortlisted in the employer finalist Transport and Logistics category.
The awards showcase the outstanding work and achievement of apprentices from black and minority ethnic (BAME) groups and aim to raise the profile of not only exceptional BAME apprentices, but also employers and training providers across the UK, who are championing the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
Mustafa says he is proud to be recognised.
‘The award has boosted my confidence in my abilities and cemented my place as a successful leader in my office and region,’ he said. ‘Right from day one of my career at Royal Mail, I have sought to get myself involved in activities above and beyond my job role.
‘I intend to effectively use my skills and experience to drive Royal Mail’s growth plan in my office and region and play my part in securing a bright future for the business.’
Mustafa joined Royal Mail as part of the 2018 operations graduate intake, on an 18-month Level 5 Chartered Management Institute (CMI) operational management diploma. During the course of his graduate programme he spent a year at St Albans Mail Processing Unit and another at Home Counties North Mail Centre.
A key part of his development with the business came when he supported our 2018 Christmas Peak planning.
‘The Christmas 2018 operational plan, which was developed as part of the apprenticeship, focused on four key factors: people, customers, efficiency and finance – to deliver a successful Christmas period in my office,’ he explained. ‘Massive benefits in terms of quality were realised in terms of a reduction in customer complaints and lost parcels. This was made possible by demonstrating effective leadership traits during a busy time and taking on board my staff and working together to drive performance.’
It’s clear Mustafa believes the apprenticeship has set him on the right career path within Royal Mail.
‘Overall, the apprenticeship has taught me a lot about my strengths and weaknesses, how I can utilise my strengths to my advantage in the workplace and how I can acquire vital skills to become a future leader,’ he said.
‘I believe I have proven to be an outstanding graduate in my cohort, being one of the few graduates who has successfully balanced multiple responsibilities in terms of delivering success in my operational roles and achieving the apprenticeship award. I have taken initiative and shown aptitude to learn new skills and have never hesitated from taking on a challenge at work.
‘I saw the apprenticeship as a useful tool to enhance my existing skills and learn a wide array of abilities that would help me tackle the various challenges facing Royal Mail and cement my place as a future leader.’
Mustafa would like to offer his thanks for their constant support to HR business partner Fiona Whyte and St Albans MPU manager Jeromy Simpson.
Click here for the full apprentice finalist shortlist. The winners will be announced on Wednesday 11 November at the 2020 BAME Apprenticeship Awards annual gala dinner in Birmingham. However, due to the ongoing Covid-19 situation, it is unknown yet whether such an event will be possible.
