The annual awards celebrate the achievements of Leonardo’s apprentices across the company’s UK Electronics business and reflect the company’s long-standing commitment to providing early careers opportunities for as many people as possible. Currently, there are more than 200 apprentices working for Leonardo’s UK Electronics business, with just over 100 based at the company’s Edinburgh site.
Senior Early Careers Business Partner, Mark Sheerin, said: “Every year we celebrate the fantastic achievements within our apprenticeship community. For our most recent awards, the standard of the finalists was once again exceptionally high. The judging panel chose Daniella as the overall winner, in recognition of her academic and work-based achievements.”
Daniella added: “I’m really happy to have won this award and have enjoyed progressing within the apprenticeship while growing in confidence. The programme also gives me an opportunity to develop my passion for STEM, sharing my knowledge with school students in the Edinburgh area. Additionally, I’m part of the Enable network group which supports our UK colleagues living with visible and non-visible disabilities, as well as those who are neurodiverse. I wanted to get involved with the group to better understand where the company could improve its working environment for people with disabilities and / or neurodiverse ways of thinking. I’m also looking forward to the opportunity to work full-time for Leonardo after my apprenticeship and develop my career in the future.”
Alongside Daniella were her Edinburgh colleagues – first year Design Engineering Graduate Apprentice Alex Biavati-Smith and final year Engineering Graduate Apprentice Amy Lauder – who were named UK winners in their respective year categories. Amy, who recently completed her BEng Hons Degree with Strathclyde University, was part of the first cohort to compete the Graduate Apprenticeship. She is now working as a project assurance engineer for Leonardo.
This year, Leonardo is offering even more early careers opportunities – including apprenticeships, graduate programmes and internships – with 300 additional places available in 2023. Throughout this week’s Scottish Apprenticeship Week, the company will be sharing news and views on our apprenticeships and apprentices working in Scotland ahead of the closing date for our 2023 vacancies on Friday 24 March.
