Officially an Award Winner

Since joining Skills and Education Group, I have always wanted to win an award. Over the past couple of years, I’ve been lucky enough to become a finalist for the Multi-Cultural Apprenticeship Awards, a STAR Winner for the East Midlands Apprenticeship Ambassador Network and receive Highly Commended for Appy Snapper.

But this month, I officially achieved something huge, I was awarded the Nottingham College Apprenticeship Champion of the Year.

Honestly, this feels surreal. It’s such a massive achievement for me and something I’ve worked incredibly hard to achieve.

The event took place on the 7th of May, and what a brilliant night it was. I attended with my fiancé, Alec, and my manager, Maya. We were welcomed with drinks before heading into the ceremony room, where we sat with two of the judges, Chris Quickfall, CEO of Cognassist and Sebastian Babin-Roadley, Operations Manager at Eastwood Hall, alongside so many inspirational people.

The evening began with starters and an amazing dance performance featuring flips and gymnastics, which was incredibly entertaining. It was great getting to network with everyone and the food was amazing too.

Then came the Apprentice Champion of the Year category.

The suspense was unreal, and then they called my name.

Everything genuinely felt like it was moving in slow motion. My fiancé was cheering, everyone was clapping, and I just remember walking up feeling completely overwhelmed in the best possible way. Receiving the award was such an incredible moment.

When I sat back down, the emotions really hit me. It was a lot to process, and I’m really grateful that Alec and Maya were there because I needed a moment outside afterwards just to calm down from how overwhelming it all felt.

In the best way possible, it was one of those moments you dream about for a long time and then suddenly it’s happening.

After that, it was dessert time and wow, it was good.

The entire evening was brilliant, it was a huge celebration of apprentices and achievement. Congratulations to all the nominees and to everyone who won an award that night!

The Struggles of Being Non-Binary and Neurodivergent

There is something else I would like to share, and it’s about how daunting formal events can be. For me, being both non-binary and neurodivergent means that formal wear often translates to a total sensory minefield.

My recent experience preparing for the awards ceremony involved a genuine battle with restrictive fabrics, bright shopping lights, and the heavy weight of gender dysphoria. It was a stark reminder of just how much physical and mental energy it can take to navigate standard expectations.

Two things saved my night:

• The Sensory Tent: This is my dedicated space at home, literally a tent in my kitchen filled with blankets and space lights. It’s where I go to regulate when everything becomes too much.

• Persistence: Even though I felt trapped in my tucked-in shirt and tie, and we arrived much later than planned, I pushed through. Despite a chaotic, overstimulating start, I made it to the event and had a brilliant time.

Welcoming Yasmin to the Team

This month also brought some changes to our team.

After four years, Mariama decided to leave Skills and Education Group to pursue a new opportunity. I hope she’s doing amazing things in her next chapter because she was such a huge part of the team and brought so much energy and personality to the workplace.

Since then we have welcomed a new starter, Yasmin!

Yasmin has brought such a warm and positive presence to the team already, and it feels really nice to feel like a full team again. She is picking everything up incredibly quickly, too, which is impressive considering how much there is to learn at Skills and Education Group, especially with multiple brands that are all really different.

She’s incredibly smart, and I’m really looking forward to all the great things we’ll achieve together.

Active Learning Task 2

This month, I also completed my Active Learning Task 2 as part of my apprenticeship.

This project focused on researching trends and seasonal opportunities that our business could utilise in marketing campaigns. I really enjoyed this because it allowed me to bring fresh ideas into our content meetings, and it has actually ledto me now working on a Pride campaign for June.

It’s also been really nice because my previous apprenticeship involved completing a large project report as part of my EPA, and at the time that felt like such a huge challenge. Now, I find myself using those same skills regularly in my role, which has really helped build my confidence.

It’s rewarding seeing how skills from previous experiences continue to support me in my current apprenticeship journey.

Personal Branding and LinkedIn

I recently turned my attention back to my LinkedIn presence and personal brand, which proved to be a brilliant lesson in the power of brand guidelines.

Applying the design skills and branding principles I’ve been developing in the workplace, I began to create brand guidelines and templates for myself. At first, I tried to follow mainstream trends, using soft pastels and minimalist aesthetics, but I struggled because it just didn’t feel like me.

So, I scrapped it all and started again. This time, I created a brand inspired by my personal style: bright neon colours on black backgrounds, influenced by spray paint, space (my biggest interest), and creativity. The ideas flowed instantly, and everything became easier.

It was a massive lightbulb moment about how brand strategy applies to businesses and individuals alike. Trends change, but authenticity is real. For a business, standing out means owning your true identity.

This truth was really brought home to me at the Apprenticeship Awards, when one of the judges, Seb, came over to tell me never to stop doing what I do and to always be myself. That meant so much. As a neurodivergent, non-binary creator, learning to confidently own my unique style has been the most valuable skill I’ve gained yet.

Final Thoughts

This month has honestly been a rollercoaster emotionally, professionally and personally.

From winning one of the biggest awards of my career so far, to struggling with dysphoria and overstimulation before the ceremony, to rebuilding my confidence in my personal brand, this month reminded me that growth is rarely straightforward.

But I’m proud of how far I’ve come.

Thank you for reading this month’s update, and I’ll see you all next month for another diary entry!