Barking teenager calls for more equality in the workplace

A teenage apprentice from Barking is leading calls for more diversity in workforces in order to ensure businesses flourish.

Vasilena Mladenova, 17, who has personally benefited from the Leadership Through Sport & Business (LTSB) apprenticeship scheme, is determined to prove that women can work just as hard as men and that they deserve to reap the same rewards.

The LTSB apprenticeship scheme is a charity that gives young people from underprivileged backgrounds access to careers in business and finance with high-profile firms such as EY, Grant Thornton, Macquarie Group and Santander.

Speaking at a Women in Leadership conference, an event that connects influential industry figures with aspiring young women, she said: “Most workplaces don’t give high roles to women because of the stereotypical way of thinking.

“It’s sad that people are narrow minded, thinking men will do better than women.”