Contributors
WBD solicitor apprentice, Sahana Grimaldi, was recently appointed as an Apprentice Ambassador by the Young Apprentice Ambassador Network (YAAN), a national network of apprentices, following the completion of an online application form and a training session in Carlisle (26 February).
WBD recruited Sahana to join its Projects & Procurement team in Newcastle following her enrolment in the firm's apprenticeship scheme in September 2018. The programme is run by The North East Solicitor Apprenticeship (NESA) which is a consortium of law firms in the region, in collaboration with the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx) and Northumbria University.
As an Ambassador, Sahana's role will be to inspire young individuals to consider an apprenticeship route, and provide informative talks based on personal experiences. She will attend school events and give talks to both students and parents around her experiences as an apprentice. The role will also require her to speak at national events including speaking to MPs at the House of Commons and presenting awards at apprenticeship award ceremonies.
Kevin Robertson, Head of WBD's Newcastle office, commented:
"I would like to congratulate Sahana for this fantastic appointment and it is great to see our young apprentices taking part in national events to encourage young individuals to join them by considering alternative routes into the legal profession. Hiring solicitor apprentices is absolutely the right thing to do in our sector and we take pride in developing home grown talent and wish Sahana the best of luck."
Sahana added:
"I would like to thank the Young Apprentice Ambassador Network for appointing me as an Ambassador. It was fantastic to meet apprentices from many different organisations at the training day. I look forward to starting my journey and hope to inspire and encourage young people to take an apprenticeship route into the legal sector."
WBD's apprenticeship scheme was already recognised by the National Apprenticeship Service when the firm won Newcomer Large Employer at the National Apprenticeship Awards. It was also named in the Top 100 Apprenticeship Employer list, which is compiled annually by the National Apprenticeship Service.
