Lucy Atkinson (Vice Chair)

I am 20 years old and I am currently working towards my ICT Practitioners Apprenticeship at the Hull Training and have been doing so since April 2007. I speak confidently in groups and feel this could be at my advantage with this opportunity. I am also very driven, meaning I will ensure I put my all into the panel. I also run my own website and forum which now has over 100 members from all over the world. I spend a lot of time updating and moderating the site and I am now also slowly working with a reptile rescue centre to help prevent animal cruelty.

In May 2009 Lucy was short listed at the prestigious Celebration of Learning and Skills (CoLaS) Awards in Harrogate in the category of Apprentice of the Year. Although Lucy was unsuccessful at the CoLaS, the sector skills council for ICT e-skills recognised Lucy’s success and award her the title of UK ICT Sector Apprentice of the Year.

Lucy has also sat on the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Learner Panel and the National Learner Panel in 2009.

"The Humber Apprentice Panel has helped me to develop as a person, I am now more able to speak in large groups confidently and I am able to structure my sentences and points appropriately for who I am talking to. Being involved in HAP has been a fantastic experience, I absolutely love it when we get key decision makers to a meeting and have the opportunity to pull apart new policies to feedback to them what we think. It has shown me that as an Apprentice, I have a right to tell the people making decisions what could be better or what shouldn’t be changed and that sharing my views and experiences can make a change to how Apprenticeships will be for future learners.

Overall, whilst being in HAP I have met some fantastic, dedicated people, attended some overwhelming events and been involved in shaping the future for the next generation of learners, I don’t think anything can top that."