A TOP apprentice is in the running for a national award and also a county award.

Jemima Armstrong, an engineering apprentice at GSK Ulverston, is a finalist in the National Apprenticeship Awards 2016 which will be staged in October.

The third year, who studies through training provider Gen2, is also an Apprentice of the Year finalist in the CN Group's Golden Apple Awards.

GSK have highlighted Jemima's Excellent results, commitment, attendance

and interest in team building and promoting STEM careers.

Jemima works as part of a rotation system to gain valuable experience in other departments in the company.

She attends college one day a week studying for her HNC in engineering.

The apprentice is keen top promote engineering as an exciting career for both genders.

She said: "Even though many people think it’s a male dominated I field, I see it as completely normal. I have been involved in STEM events throughout the year and doing this keeps the job varied and interesting.

I encourage younger children to pursue a career in science or engineering. I want to be noticed as an approachable apprentice who younger people, girls especially, are inspired by.

I really want to change other people's perspective on believing engineering is dominated by males. There are plenty of girls that are interested engineering but may feel as though males would generally be better at it, and that’s not true.

“The thing I enjoy most about working at GSK is the people I work with. The Ulverston site is friendly place to work and a great way to learn. There is a family feel to the place, it’s a really special apprenticeship as I am treated as an individual not as just another number.

There are plenty of long standing staff that work at GSK that have a wealth of knowledge and experience. I am inspired on a daily basis by those people and that in itself is a really special element about coming to work.”

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