Celebrating Success:

West Mercia Energy (WME) is delighted to celebrate a significant milestone as our very first apprentice, Emily, has accepted a permanent position as Finance and Billing Assistant, effective December 2025.

Emily joined WME in September 2022, straight after completing her A-levels. She began her journey with us as a Business Administrator apprentice (Level 2), becoming our first ever apprentice. During her first year, Emily rotated across a number of departments, gaining valuable insight into different areas of the business. This exposure provided her with a strong understanding of our operations and helped to shape her career direction.

She soon discovered her strengths lay in a dual role between our busy Billing department and the Finance team, where she quickly became a valued member of the team. On completion of her Business Administration apprenticeship, Emily opted to continue developing her skills with an AAT Level 2 finance apprenticeship, which she is now close to completing.

Recognising her hard work, commitment, and professional growth, WME is thrilled to have offered Emily a permanent role within the business, which she has accepted. In addition, we are proud to support her continued development as she begins her Level 3 AAT qualification in the new year, fully funded by WME as part of our ongoing investment in staff development.

“Emily has been a fantastic addition to both the finance and billing teams. Her determination and willingness to learn have made her an invaluable member of the department. We are extremely proud of her journey and delighted she has accepted a permanent position. Emily is a brilliant example of how apprenticeships can create meaningful career opportunities, and we look forward to supporting her continued growth.” Jo Pugh, Head of Finance and Billing at WME.

Emily added, “When I first started at WME I had no previous office experience and no knowledge of anything energy related. My apprenticeship allowed me to combine online training with workplace experience, a mixture that helped me apply what I would learn in the classroom, to my day-to-day work. This has also helped me gain confidence and meet new people.

After experiencing all parts of the business, I could feel that my strengths lay within the finance and billing areas, which is why I then decided to do a Level 2 Finance Apprenticeship.

The two apprenticeships I have completed at WME have been invaluable to my learning and development. When I finished my A-Levels I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, so being able to try different things and see what I enjoy and what I’m good at has been so useful. I would recommend an apprenticeship to anyone who is thinking about it.

I am really pleased to have been offered a permanent position at WME and I’m really excited to start my next qualification in 2026”.

Emily’s journey showcases the success of the apprenticeship scheme and WME are committed to utilising it again in the future as part of our commitment to developing talent within the industry.