Welsh Parliament apprentice Mahima Khan has received high praise as a finalist in the UK wide 2020 BAME Apprenticeship Awards, in recognition of her hard work and dedication.
Showcasing the outstanding achievements of apprentices from Black and Minority Ethnic groups, the annual BAME Apprenticeship Awards held its virtual ceremony on Wednesday 11 November. 20-year-old Senedd apprentice, Mahima Khan, from Cardiff was shortlisted as a finalist for the Public Services Apprentice of the Year 2020.
With over 300 nominations for the awards received nationally across a wide range of categories, Mahima fought off some tough competition to become a Finalist.
"I decided to take on an Apprenticeship because I felt that University wasn't the only pathway to success. The Welsh Parliament really caught my attention as it's a superior public body which could benefit from having people of BAME backgrounds joining to make a bigger impact in our community and be more representative of the people it serves.
"I feel ecstatic to have been shortlisted for the award in the Charity, Voluntary Organisations and Public Services category. To be a finalist for an award at National level means I have had really tough competition against other Apprentices from many other organisations. This motivates me even more, to stand out from the crowd, the Welsh Parliament are an incredible public body and representing Wales is an honour." - Mahima Khan, a former student at Fitzalan High School in Cardiff, who was among the intake of Senedd apprentices in 2018.
During her year-long apprenticeship, Mahima worked across three different departments in the Senedd – Research Service, Education and Human Resources , learning alongside colleagues every day whilst studying for Business Administration Level 2 qualification.
"I found my Apprenticeship amazing, it has opened my eyes to a whole horizon of opportunities. Before starting the Apprenticeship I was worried that I wouldn't fit in at the Senedd. I shouldn't have been afraid to enter this working environment because every single person here is very supportive," adds Mahima.
Since completing her term as an apprentice, Mahima is now in a full time position at the Senedd as a Community Support Officer for the Climate Change, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee. She is also continuing to study for a Level 3 in Business Administration.
She is also Co-chair of the Senedd's staff REACH (Race, Ethnicity And Cultural Heritage) Network, which supports diversity in the workplace, and in March 2020, she was awarded Apprentice of the Year (Business Administration) by the Quality Skills Alliance.
Senedd apprenticeships
The Senedd's annual apprenticeship scheme offers an opportunity for applicants to study for nationally recognised qualification whilst working at the heart of Welsh democracy. The flexible scheme supports tailored experiences: from assisting the human resources team, to contributing to communication and engagement campaigns, administrating the security and building facilities departments and working with the Senedd committee clerking teams on the front line of the democratic process.
Many apprentices go on to full time employment and some, like Mahima, in position within the Senedd.
"As one of the intake of the 2018 apprenticeship scheme, is has been a pleasure to support Mahima and her fellow apprentices develop their careers here in the Senedd. We're committed to supporting our employees to achieve the best of their ability and it is thrilling that one of our team has succeeded as a finalist in these prestigious UK wide award, against such tough competition. We congratulate Mahima on this well-deserved achievement, and we hope her success serves as an inspiration for other people to consider the Senedd as a route to develop their career." - Lowri Williams, Head of Human Resources at the Senedd
Information about Senedd apprenticeships is available on the website, where details of the 2021 scheme will be published.