A west Wales apprentice at the Farmers' Union of Wales has scooped the Tomorrow’s Talent award at this year’s Apprenticeship Awards Cymru.

Higher Apprentice Heledd Roberts, 24, from Carmarthen is described by her employer as an “injection of positive energy”.

She has worked for FUW Insurance Services Ltd, the UK’s leading agricultural specialist insurance broker, for three years and is currently based at the Ruthin office in north Wales.

Joining the company during the pandemic, she helped to cover multiple offices and was promoted to lead account handler due to her enthusiasm to learn and motivate others.

Reacting to her award, Heledd said: “I am completely shocked and thankful for this award which is validation for all the late nights and weekends that I have put in to the Higher Apprenticeship, which I am now close to finishing.

“It has definitely been worth all the work because I have received amazing support and an apprenticeship can take you so much further in your career.

“I am a big fan of efficiency and introducing new ways of doing things that not only help the business but also the staff. I particularly enjoy the management side of the job and would like to secure a permanent role as an account executive in the future.”

Heledd said it was a particularly special night, as her training mentor, Gareth Lewis from ALS Training, was also a finalist in the Work-based Learning Practitioner category.

Highlight of the year for apprentices, employers and work-based learning providers and practitioners, the Apprenticeship Awards Cymru are organised by the Welsh Government and supported by the National Training Federation for Wales (NTFW).

Headline sponsor this year was EAL, specialist skills partner and awarding organisation for industry. The awards highlight the outstanding achievements of employers, apprentices and work-based learning practitioners.

Caryl Roberts, FUW Insurance Services Ltd’s business development manager, described Heledd as “exceptional”, adding: “She has brought a willingness to challenge and modernise some long-standing processes and has an eagerness to introduce novel approaches to problem solving.”

Heledd completed a Financial Services (Insurance Pathway) Apprenticeship within a year and is now working towards a Higher Apprenticeship (Level 4) General Insurance, both delivered by ALS Training.

She has increased business efficiency and profitability by leading a project to introduce an electronic e-trade process, provided valuable expertise on internal auditing processes, assisted with marketing and fundraising and thrives as a mentor for new staff.

Al Parkes, managing director at EAL, said: “I would like to congratulate not just Heledd and the other award winners, but all the employers, apprentices and work-based learning practitioners who were nominated.

“Showcasing their achievements is important as it inspires more people to consider apprenticeships and encourages more employers to take on apprentices.”

Chief executive of the Commission for Tertiary Education and Research, Simon Pirotte OBE, said: “I want to congratulate all the finalists and winners. Stories like theirs drive home the high impact that apprenticeships can have, helping people to find fulfilling employment and contributing to Wales’ skills system. They will be a crucial part of the newly founded Commission for Tertiary Education and Research.”

For more information about recruiting an apprentice, visit: gov.wales/apprenticeships-genius-decision or call 03000 603000.