Former Manchester apprentice scoops national award for his contribution to apprenticeships

Phil White, 37, is Head of Learning and Development at the North West’s only FTSE100 company United Utilities.

Phil is dedicated to helping others progress up the career ladder through the apprenticeship route and this commitment has seen him pick-up a national award for his outstanding contribution to the development of apprenticeships at the inaugural ACC apprentice awards in Birmingham.

What makes Phil story more remarkable is that he started his career off at United Utilities as an apprentice Mechanical Engineer.

“It was 1997, I’d finished school and I didn’t want to follow the university route, which back then felt like the only option with the information available.

“Thankfully I went against the grain and secured an apprenticeship with United Utilities, which at the time, I (and my dad) felt would provide stability and career growth and we were proved right,” said Phil.

Since finishing his apprenticeship, Phil has completed a HND in Mechanical Engineering, a Graduate Certificate in Management and a Master of Business Administration degree.

Phil added: “I feel very proud to have won this award. I feel extremely lucky to be able to use my experience and the skills I’ve been fortunate enough to pick up and achieve with the support of my employer to help our new apprentices starting off, so they too can get the most out of their apprenticeship.”