HSBC Apprentice wins Asian Apprentice of the Year

A career setback leads to success for Khaliqa

A young woman who was forced to change career plans was last night recognised for her determination and passion to succeed in a finance career.

Khaliqa Amani was named as the Apprentice of the Year at the Asian Apprenticeships Awards at Edgbaston Stadium in Birmingham last night. Khaliqa works for HSBC UK Head Office in Birmingham as a Wealth Insights Proposition Manager, having completed her Apprenticeship in just eight months.

A British National who spent most of her life in Pakistan, Khaliqa achieved top grades for her GCSEs and A Levels. Her goal was to become a heart surgeon. Moving to the UK with the dream of studying medicine, she gained a place at medical school but then received the devastating news that she did not qualify for a tuition fee loan as she had not lived in the UK for three years.

Khaliqa was determined to build a successful career in the UK. She researched different industries and learnt about the apprenticeship programme with HSBC UK. The opportunity to study and work without incurring university debt appealed to Khaliqa and she gained a place on the Apprenticeship in Providing Financial Services.

Starting as a Cashier and Customer Service Officer at the Birmingham New Street branch, Khaliqa passed her apprenticeship exams with merit status within eight months, instead of the recommended 18 months. She was promoted on completion of the apprenticeship programme and has more recently been promoted again, this time to a management role. Her success in the workplace enabled her to buy her first home aged just 21, and to support her siblings and her mother.

Khaliqa is also an HSBC Apprenticeship Ambassador, delivering talks in schools and colleges, answering students’ queries so they can make informed decisions, and coaching students in interview skills. She is an extremely active member of HSBC Muslim Network and produced a video on ‘Ramadan and the workplace’ to help her colleagues understand the significance of the Holy month of Ramadan in Islamic culture.

Her line manager Christine Foyster said: “Khaliqa’s success at HSBC UK throughout and since her apprenticeship really speaks for itself. Two big promotions within less than two years is a rare occurrence at this organisation and is testament to the hard work Khaliqa has put into building her personal brand, proving her worth and growing a diverse and strong network of stakeholders throughout the business.

“A highly motivated and passionate professional, Khaliqa has battled against the odds to create the beginnings of what will undoubtedly be a very successful career in the banking industry.”

Isa Mutlib is the Director of the Asian Apprenticeship Awards. He commented: “The awards are in the fourth year and the quality of entries gets higher each year. The Awards celebrate the brightest and best British Asian Apprentices and the commitment of their employers and learning providers.

“Khaliqa’s entry really stood out to the judging panel. It shows not just talent and hard work, but also a very positive impact on her colleagues and customers and huge personal resilience and determination. The way she handled an unexpected career setback and has made such a success of it is commendable. She continues to give back to the Apprenticeship programme, as well as being an ambassador for her faith. I congratulate her and wish her luck as her career develops.”

“We hope we have encouraged more young British Asians to consider apprenticeships, and more employers to provide opportunities to benefit from the skills that apprentices bring. We are grateful to our headline sponsor, the Royal Air Force, for their support in running the event.”

From over 300 nominations, awards were presented in 7 sector categories, 2 employer categories and the overall Learning Provider of the Year. Nearly 500 people attended the event which was hosted by Suzi Mann and comedian Eshaan Akbar. Entertainment was provided by Aston Performing Arts Academy. Guest speakers included Jasmine Kundra, from last year’s BBC The Apprentice line up and Iasha Masood from this year’s series, alongside the overall Asian Apprentice of the Year 2018 Marjana Uddin and Shakil Butt from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

The full winners list is as follows:

Judges’ Choice Award and overall Apprentice of the Year – Khaliqa Amani, HSBC

Finance, Legal & Professional Services category

Winning Apprentice    Shamaila Khalid, Ernst & Young LLP

Winning Employer      Arvato CRM Solutions UK

Health, Medical & Social Care category

Winning Apprentice    Ahmar Iqbal, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

Winning Employer      PBL Care 

Retail, Hospitality & Tourism category

Winning Apprentice    Ahmed Alkhkfaji, Blade Barber Shop

Winning Employer      Travis Perkins 

Charity, Voluntary Organisations & Public Services category

Winning Apprentice    Nardesh – Samra Burhm, Babington

Winning Employer      Salesforce.org 

Construction Services category

Winning Apprentice    Alyssia Samra, HS2

Winning Employer      NG Bailey

Engineering & Manufacturing category

Winning Apprentice    Aamir Adam, Siemens

Winning Employer      Bombardier Transportation

Creative & Digital category

Winning Apprentice    Ismail Abdul Ghafoor, HM Revenue & Customs

Winning Employer      Facebook 

Learning Provider of The Year – PTP Training

Small, Medium Employer of the Year – BootCamp Media

Large Employer of the Year – Lloyds Banking Group