19-Year-Old Engineer from ARUP Wins ‘Apprentice of the Year’ at Greater Birmingham Young Professional Awards

Empowering Future Talent: Pathway Group Celebrates West Midlands Apprenticeship Success

Pathway Group, a major advocate for skills and employability, proudly sponsored the ‘Apprentice of the Year’ award at the prestigious Greater Birmingham Young Professional of the Year Awards. This year’s award was presented to 19-year-old Santina Bunting, an engineer from ARUP, whose journey underscores the power of apprenticeships to transform career paths.

Santina’s commitment to the apprenticeship route began early. Inspired by her mother’s advocacy and her brother’s experience in civil engineering, she made the bold choice to pursue an apprenticeship right after Year 11, becoming the only student in her all-girls grammar school to forgo A-Levels and university. “I was the only one out of 150 students in my year to choose this path,” Santina shared. “Apprenticeships offer so many advantages – I’ve already worked on four major highway projects, learning hands-on while building real skills.”

Santina’s inspiring journey has led her back to her school, where she now gives talks to students about apprenticeships in engineering, sharing her success and advocating for greater female representation in the field. “Gender doesn’t hinder you at all. The industry is evolving, and it’s about what you bring as an individual,” she said.

Presenting the award, Safaraz Ali, Co-founder & CEO of Pathway Group and Founder of the Multicultural Apprenticeship brands, commended Santina as a true role model. “It’s an honour to sponsor and present this award to Santina Bunting. Time and again, we find that the best way to champion apprenticeships is through exemplary apprentices like Santina, who represents the excellence and impact this path can bring.”

In addition to her achievements in engineering, Santina has been recognised by the Multicultural Apprenticeship Awards and recently supported the Multicultural Apprenticeship & Skills Alliance in several events. Hear more from Santina here.

Pathway Group’s involvement highlights their commitment to creating opportunities for young talent in the West Midlands and winder, underlining apprenticeships as a cornerstone for regional growth, social mobility, and professional development across industries.