Lisa Walsh, a student who graduated from Queen Margaret University (QMU) in July, has been awarded the Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) Apprentice of the Year Award.
Lisa received the accolade after four years on QMU’s Graduate Apprenticeship BA (Hons) Business Management course, which she completed while continuing to accelerate her career.
As a result of participating in the programme, Lisa was able to enhance her business skills and in-depth knowledge and apply them in her workplace, which in turn, helped her thrive at SSE, where she continued to improve and climb the corporate ladder.
She also received this year’s Dean’s List prize for her high course achievements within the Business, Enterprise and Management division at QMU.
Lisa said: “The Graduate Apprenticeship has been a genuinely life changing opportunity for me. As an adult learner I had been out of formal education for nearly 20 years, and it was quite daunting to take the step back into learning.
“However, the experience I have had at QMU has been amazing. Although challenging, having an employer who believed in me and the fantastic support from QMU, has made this an experience I will never forget – for all the right reasons. My confidence has grown, and I am grateful for the career opportunities this has given me. Thank you QMU and SSE!”
Fitting into work commitments, QMU’s Graduate Apprenticeship degree provides a practical and integrated way to develop expertise with a current employer, who will benefit from having a more highly skilled employee.
The programme helps apprentices learn the higher-level management skills that companies will need, and consolidates that knowledge with real-life work experience.
Now in a major role as Learning Systems and Services Manager at the multinational energy company, Lisa’s award highlights her ambition and motivation to continue her studies alongside her full-time employment.
On the day of Lisa’s graduation from QMU, she celebrated with her family and classmates at an impressive ceremony held in Edinburgh’s beautiful Usher Hall, attended by QMU’s Chancellor and TV presenter Dame Prue Leith CBE. Lisa was one of 1300 students who graduated in person from Queen Margaret University across three ceremonies in July.
Dr Lynn Waterston, Programme Leader for BA (Hons) Business Management Graduate Apprenticeship, said: “Lisa is an outstanding student, and the award is testament to the hard work and dedication that she has shown throughout the course, as well as her employer and the teaching team who work to ensure the success of the graduates on the programme.”
The SSE Apprentice of the Year Award is presented to apprentices at Modern and Graduate levels during Scottish Apprenticeship Week each year. Lisa was awarded with her accolade in March 2024 at a formal, online event.
Judy Preece, Apprenticeship Performance & Quality Manager for SSE, said “Lisa thoroughly deserved to win the Apprentice of the Year Award. The award not only recognised her dedication and commitment to her studies, but also how her career has developed as a result of Lisa’s continued desire to succeed.
“As a large employer, we are proud to support the Graduate Apprenticeship pathway – it is one of our key learning pathways used to develop our future workforce to support our journey to net zero.”