As National Apprenticeship Week 2023 draws to a close, we’re recognising the achievements of one of Ofcom’s own apprentices - who became an award winner this week.
Fatima Diallo, who joined Ofcom as an apprentice in 2021 has won the University of Kent ‘Apprentice of the Year Award’.
Fatima joined Ofcom in 2021 as part of our intake of policy apprentices and is undertaking a policy officer apprenticeship with Kent University. This means she spends at least 20% of her time (typically one day a week) studying at the university and the rest of the time working as a policy assistant at Ofcom.
She currently works in our networks and communications group, where she’s working on projects around net neutrality, and she has also worked in our behavioural insight, strategy and policy, and public policy teams.
Eventually, she hopes to attain both a Certificate of Higher Education as well as a Level 4 Policy Officer certification. The latter is a qualification equivalent to having completed the first year and a half of a degree.
Why choose an apprenticeship?
Fatima says she chose an apprenticeship because it provides experience on top of learning – and that’s something that employers value highly. She became interested in joining Ofcom after a work experience placement organised through Speakers for Schools. She admits this prior to this, she had little knowledge of Ofcom or our work – but through her placement she gained an insight into our work and our people, so leapt at the opportunity to join Ofcom straight from school as an apprentice.
About the award
The University of Kent’s Apprentice of the Year Awards aim to shine a light on the work being done by apprentices, employers and the academic community.
This year, the categories were for Apprentice of the Year, Employer of the Year, Academic of the Year and Apprenticeship Advisor of the Year. Amid stiff competition, we were delighted to learn that Fatima had won Apprentice of the Year for the Policy Officer pathway (the route to becoming a policy officer) – a huge achievement.
Fatima said: “I’m incredibly grateful and lucky to have won this award. I mention luck because I know I could not have got here without the help of my career performance manager and early careers leads at Ofcom, my lecturers, current and alumni apprentices, my apprentice advisors and the help of my Ofcom colleagues.
“Colleagues who always respect my study time and always push me to challenge myself a little harder - thank you again, you’re a pleasure to work with and I’m forever indebted to all of you.”
Lindsey Fussell, Ofcom’s Group Director for Network & Communications, added: “I am so delighted that Fatima has been chosen as the Policy Officer Apprentice of the Year.
“She has been doing a fantastic job at Ofcom at the same time as studying for her qualifications, and it’s fantastic to see her efforts being recognised in this way.”