We are delighted to announce that Lauren Whiteman, Apprenticeship & Skills Strategic Account Manager, has been shortlisted for Somerset’s 30 Under 30!

The initiative celebrates Somerset’s most promising young professionals, recognising the next generation of decision-makers and influencers who are already making a positive impact in their industries and communities.

Since joining Weston College as an Account Manager in June 2025, Lauren has rapidly established herself as an exceptional emerging leader, progressing to Strategic Account Manager in recognition of her outstanding performance and leadership potential. In just over a year, she has supported more than 350 apprentices, engaged with over 200 employers and proactively connected more than 50 small businesses with CITB apprenticeship grant funding they were previously unaware of.

These achievements demonstrate not only the scale of her impact, but her ability to identify opportunities, build partnerships and turn challenges into tangible outcomes for learners, employers and communities across Somerset. What sets Lauren apart is that she consistently goes beyond the expectations of her role to create opportunities that strengthen Somerset’s workforce and change individual lives.

A defining strength of Lauren’s leadership is her ability to connect education, industry and community. Through the major Epic Technology Campus development at Long Ashton, she worked closely with Tier 1 contractors and subcontractors, including main contractor Gilbert Ash, to support Section 106 commitments through apprenticeships, local employment, work experience and wider social value activity.

She also coordinated construction site visits for school pupils, giving young people first-hand exposure to the industry and helping employers engage with their future workforce. Lauren understands that successful employer engagement is not simply about filling vacancies; it is about building sustainable relationships that create long-term value for learners, businesses and the local community.

One of the clearest examples of Lauren’s leadership, innovation and ability to turn barriers into opportunities came when six full-time bricklaying learners were struggling to secure apprenticeships, despite actively applying for vacancies. Lauren recognised that the problem was not a lack of ability, but that traditional CV-based recruitment was failing to demonstrate the learners’ practical skills and potential.

Rather than accepting this as a barrier, Lauren took the initiative to develop a different approach. Working collaboratively with the faculty team, she created a practical Bricklaying Assessment Centre, giving employers the opportunity to see the learners build a live wall and assess their practical competence, attitude and potential first-hand.

The result was exceptional; all six learners secured paid bricklaying apprenticeships, with their apprenticeships starting in September. Lauren had identified a problem, challenged the conventional recruitment process, brought colleagues and employers together and created a solution that delivered a 100% success rate. This is what distinguishes Lauren as a future leader. She does not simply identify barriers; she takes ownership of finding solutions. The impact is also highly personal; six young people who had been struggling to access their chosen career have now secured skilled employment pathways. At the same time, employers gained access to talent they may otherwise have overlooked. It is a powerful example of Lauren creating a solution that benefits individuals, businesses and the wider Somerset workforce.

Lauren has similarly demonstrated initiative through a Construction T Level Speed Interview Day, creating an event with direct and structured connections between employers and learners. Every learner secured an industry placement, with several progressing directly towards apprenticeship opportunities. By bringing employers into the college environment and making recruitment more accessible, Lauren created value for both sides, learners gained opportunities and confidence, while employers gained access to emerging talent.

Lauren is also passionate about making the construction industry more inclusive. Recognising the need for greater female representation, she organised and led a Women in Construction Round Table, bringing together successful women from across the industry to share their experiences and advice. Crucially, she ensured current female construction learners had a voice, enabling them to share their own journeys and hear directly from role models. Her work challenges perceptions about who belongs in construction and encourages more young women to see the sector as a place where they can build successful careers. 

Her commitment to social impact is equally strong. Lauren coordinated a Groundworker Bootcamp for local NEET adults aged 19 and over, working with industry partners to provide participants with NPORS qualifications and CSCS cards that significantly improved their employability. Ten participants progressed into employment opportunities in March 2026. This initiative demonstrates Lauren’s understanding that workforce development can also be a route to greater social mobility, helping people who face barriers to employment access sustainable careers.

Lauren’s contribution to Somerset’s communities extends beyond her core responsibilities. She coordinated a Weston College volunteering day with Octavius and Alliance Homes as part of the “Leaving a Legacy” initiative, improving local allotments and community green spaces while strengthening relationships between employers, the college and community organisations. She has also supported schools through careers activity and construction site visits, helping young people understand the breadth of opportunities available within the sector.

Perhaps most importantly, Lauren makes a personal difference to the people she works with. One particularly powerful example involved a young person in care who felt uncertain and disengaged about their future. Working with Octavius, Lauren arranged construction site visits and opportunities to meet industry professionals. She helped the young person recognise that construction offers opportunities beyond traditional trades, including professional careers such as architecture. Through these experiences, the individual developed renewed motivation and began aspiring towards a career in architecture. This captures what makes Lauren different: she does not simply create opportunities; she helps people recognise their own potential.

What sets Lauren apart is the combination of strategic thinking, commercial awareness, creativity and genuine compassion she brings to her work. She has already demonstrated the ability to influence employers, develop partnerships, solve complex problems, deliver measurable outcomes and create social value. Her rapid progression to Strategic Account Manager is testament to her performance, but her strongest evidence of leadership is the impact she is already having on others.

Lauren represents exactly the kind of future leader Somerset needs; someone who understands business and industry while remaining deeply committed to people and place. Whether helping an employer access funding, creating apprenticeships, opening doors for women in construction, supporting vulnerable young people or helping adults into employment, she consistently turns initiative into action and action into measurable impact.

Lauren is not simply a promising professional. She is already helping shape Somerset’s future workforce, communities and opportunities. With her proven ability to lead, innovate and bring people together, she has enormous potential to become one of Somerset’s next generation of influential leaders.