Elly-May was an A star student at Torquay Girls’ Grammar School and Exeter College before securing a place at Birmingham University.
But half-way through a neuroscience degree, she decided that the academic route was no longer for her, and she wanted to fulfil her ambitions to carry out a practical profession.
After doing some stop-gap customer service jobs, she applied for a multi-trade apprenticeship at LiveWest.
The multi-trade apprenticeship is giving Elly-May experience in a number of practical jobs, including carpentry, plumbing, painting and decorating, and building.
Her apprenticeship sees her work alongside a mentor in customers' homes as she develops her skills.
Elly-May said: “I am delighted to have won the Apprentice of the Year award and thank all my colleagues for helping make my apprenticeship so enjoyable and rewarding.
“I have had incredible support over the past year and have gained some fantastic experience.
“What I really love about my apprenticeship with LiveWest is that I am encouraged and supported to develop my skills in a number of areas.
“The organisation has given me the opportunity to get involved in not only working in customers’ homes to complete repairs, but also to get involved in climate conversations and how we can help make the planet a better place.
“I am looking forward to learning even more during the rest of my apprenticeship.”
Elly-May has made exceptional progress in the 11 months in the role, not just in terms of enhancing her practical skills to successfully carry our repairs but also her incredible level of customer service. She has an ability to make customers feel comfortable while in their home and pulls out all the stops to solve their issues.
Outside of her day-to-day role, Elly-May has thrown herself into a number of areas of the organisation, immersing herself in the culture and leading the way.
She is actively involved in the Trade Forum which represents the views and suggestions of apprentices to the Director of People Services and other members of her IMS peer group. She has been an active voice in relaying how apprentices feel to senior managers across the business.
Elly-May chairs a Climate Conversation to get more young people to play their part with improving their environment.
She has actively been taking part in encouraging others to make positive changes and get involved in making the environment the forefront of conversations.
So, when Backyard Nature announced its Climate Conversations, Elly-May felt it was important to get involved. Backyard Nature is a campaign to get all children to spend more time enjoying and protecting nature partnered with Green Housing Consortium, to give young people aged between 7–25, a chance to have a voice and make a difference to the environment through discussions with housing associations.
LiveWest is part of the Green Housing Consortium which has created its own Green Youth Board which was set up to improve its green spaces and encourage communities to look at their spaces. Elly-May sits on the Board and chaired the second Climate Conversation which she felt was important to get involved in and challenge others on what they’re doing to be more green.
Elly-May is not the least bit fazed at entering a male-dominated industry and champions LiveWest’s drive to recruit more women into the trades workforce.
She attended a recent careers’ show with our People Services team to promote apprenticeships and women in trades.
Elly-May added: “Some organisations just pay lip service to giving equal opportunities in specific areas of their business.
“I realise that trades are traditionally dominated by males, but LiveWest are taking great steps to welcome more women into these areas.
“They have been brilliant with me. It’s not a case of me having to prove myself because I am a woman. There is a nice culture of equality and inclusivity and I really feel comfortable.”
LiveWest has invested in apprenticeships since April 2015, setting up around 96 programmes.
We have 53 current apprentices on the programme, ranging from Plumbing & Heating Level 2 to Senior Leader master’s degree Level 7, with a variety of levels and specialisms in between. We are very proud to pay all our Apprentices the Actual Living Wage which has allowed us to attract the very best talent in a variety of fields.
LiveWest’s commitment for developing careers is borne out of the statistics that show since April 2015, 93 out of 96 apprentices at LiveWest have gone on to secure a permanent role within the organisation.