Outstanding talent
Ashaan Grewal, automation engineer at Greenford Mail Centre, has won the national black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) ‘Apprentice of the Year’ award for the ‘Engineering and manufacturing’ category.
The 2020 BAME Apprenticeship Awards apprentice finalists were revealed in an online shortlisting event in July. The winners were announced at an online awards ceremony on Wednesday 11 November.
The BAME Apprenticeship Awards showcase the outstanding work and achievement of apprentices from black and minority ethnic groups and aims 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.
Ashaan was one of three colleagues shortlisted as finalists in the BAME Apprenticeship Awards 2020, alongside Dan Kolahi, maintenance team leader at Warrington Mail Centre, and Mustafa Khan, delivery line manager at Enfield Delivery Office.
‘It feels surreal to win this highly competitive award in the engineering and manufacturing sector,’ said Ashaan. ‘It has been a fantastic journey from the day I started to where I am now. The mentorship, from the programme leaders to the team leaders and coaches, has been incredibly supportive right from the beginning, and I would like to thank each and every one of them.
‘The support network and training Royal Mail provides is second to none. In terms of my future at Royal Mail, I would love to carry on studying and progressing with the help of Royal Mail and hopefully climb the ranks of the business in the years to come. I have developed a lot of skills and experience from the training and qualifications I’ve obtained, and I would love to put them all to good use.’
Ashaan has achieved several accolades since working for Royal Mail, including BTEC Levels 2 and 3 in engineering maintenance, an NVQ Level 3 in engineering operations, Engineering Technician status with the Institute of Engineering and Technology, and the Duke of Edinburgh Gold award.
‘I started my journey as an apprentice with Royal Mail seven years ago and haven’t looked back since,’ said Ashaan. ‘I come from a family of engineers and mechanics, so pursuing a career in the field felt almost natural to me.
‘When I finished my initial engineering apprenticeship with Royal Mail, I enrolled on another at a higher level, through the engineering development program. The experience I had the first time round almost certainly made my decision to apply for another apprenticeship, an easy one.’
Darren Borthwick, engineering apprentice programme manager, said: ‘Ashaan joined the apprenticeship scheme in 2013 as one of 23 apprentices, and has shown from the very beginning what a tremendous asset he is to the engineering community.
‘He has excelled both personally and professionally. I like to think the engineering apprenticeship can be the foundation for a fantastic career in Royal Mail and Ashaan looks to have proved this and more. I’m delighted he won this award and I hope Ashaan inspires both current and future apprentices to follow his lead and be the best they possibly can be.’
