AN EMPLOYEE at JP Morgan is up for a national award today for her efforts to spread the word about the value of apprenticeships.

Tilly Cuttler, 20, from Winton, is having a “remarkable impact on the apprenticeship landscape”, according to the organisers of the National Apprentice Awards.

She took up a role at the global bank’s Chaseside operation after leaving Bournemouth School for Girls.

She recently passed her level four financial services apprenticeship with distinction and secured a permanent job at JP Morgan, working in global financial crimes compliance.

“I think the apprenticeship route isn’t perhaps as well-known as university. I think university is well understood as an opportunity and has been for years, the apprenticeship routes are still emerging,” said Tilly.

“At BSG we had an amazing careers leader, Nicola Ruby. She, along with others, supported me.”

She said she went through a “rigorous process” to land an apprenticeship with JP Morgan, which has been hiring 50 apprentices a year in recent years.

“Getting through that was a massive achievement. It’s very hard being a student and not having the work experience going into a very big company. That said, completing an apprenticeship and working with JP Morgan and balancing that work and study is a new experience for many and can be demanding too,” she said.

Through JP Morgan, Tilly has become involved in philanthropic events such as coordinating the Reading Partners programme, working with the charity Diverse Abilities, leading beach clean-ups and organising collaborations with schools.

She pursued an opportunity to represent JP Morgan in the Young Apprentice Ambassador Network and won the Dorset Chamber Young Apprenticeship Ambassador of the Year Award last year.

Since finishing her apprenticeship, she has written blog posts for Dorset Young Chamber to advocate for young apprenticeships and has worked with the council for the Collaboration for Dorset Careers (C4DC) network, which looks to support and promote careers opportunities for young people.

“There are some amazing career paths that involve apprenticeships. You can become a solicitor as an apprentice. The routes are endless and you’re not limited to university,” she said.

“Some of my friends are still at university and have another two years to go. By the time they’re stepping onto the career ladder I’ll hopefully be 4-5 years into my career.”

She is working with the careers team at JP Morgan to represent the apprenticeship scheme at local events including the Careers and Apprenticeship Show at the BIC and school careers fairs.