We’re proud to celebrate the success of Apprentice Quantity Surveyor Ali Ali, who has been named the University of Greenwich’s Apprentice of the Year for 2025. Ali joined Marlborough Highways in February 2024 and quickly became a valued member of our commercial team. In just his first year, he has shown exceptional professionalism, drive, and a genuine passion for the highways industry – qualities that clearly impressed the judging panel at the University of Greenwich.

As part of his apprenticeship, Ali is studying Quantity Surveying at the University while applying his skills in his role at Marlborough. He supports the commercial team on a variety of large-scale schemes and has proudly taken ownership of monthly reporting.

Beyond his day-to-day responsibilities, Ali stands out as a natural mentor and ambassador for careers in construction. Last summer, he supported Year 10 and Year 12 students during their work experience placements, taking time to explain his role, share his journey, and help the students feel welcome. He later mentored a sixth-form student who had a particular interest in the commercial team – the student described his experience as “excellent” thanks to Ali’s engagement.

Ali also plays an active role in our internal apprenticeship forum, connecting with apprentices across the company and contributing to conversations that help shape the future of our apprenticeship programme.

In recognition of all this, Ali was invited to the University of Greenwich to speak on an insight day panel for incoming students – and was surprised at the end of the session with the Apprentice of the Year award.

Speaking about his recent achievement, Ali said:
“I’m truly honoured to have been named Apprentice of the Year by the University of Greenwich. I want to thank both Marlborough Highways and the University for giving me the opportunity to grow in my role and develop my career. I’d also like to give a special shout out to Erika Gaidule for organising such a welcoming and engaging event — receiving this award was a wonderful surprise and something I’m very proud to have achieved.”

Paul Haggerty, Marlborough’s Learning and Development Manager added:
“It is always great to see our people formally recognised for their hard work, and Ali’s recent win is no exception. Thanks to his proactive approach and commitment to causes outside his day-to-day duties, his recognition is a well-deserved achievement. Now, as we look ahead, we’re excited to see how Ali can continue developing his career in the months and years to come at Marlborough.”

Ali’s success reflects Marlborough’s commitment to developing the next generation of talent, providing apprentices the skills, support and opportunities they need to thrive, and Ali is a brilliant example of what’s possible with the right mindset and environment.