Sofia Coviello Wins Apprentice of the Year at East Midlands Chamber Awards

We are delighted to announce that Sofia Coviello has been named Apprentice of the Year at the East Midlands Chamber of Commerce Business Awards!

The award recognises apprentices who are making an outstanding contribution to their organisations while demonstrating exceptional commitment to their professional development. Having previously been named as a finalist in the Enterprising Women Awards, Sofia has now secured the top accolade, highlighting the impact she continues to make both for IMA and its clients.

Sofia joined us in March 2021 and enrolled onto the Level 7 Architect Degree Apprenticeship at the University of Nottingham shortly afterwards. Since then, she has successfully balanced the demands of academic study with full-time professional responsibilities, developing into a confident and capable architectural professional.

Over the course of her apprenticeship, Sofia has progressed from supporting roles to leading design packages, managing client relationships and playing a key role in delivering complex, large-scale projects. Her experience includes contributing to the design and delivery of major distribution centres, data centre schemes and a new cold-store facility for a leading UK-based frozen meal company.

Beyond project delivery, Sofia has been instrumental in strengthening knowledge-sharing within the practice. She has introduced internal ‘lunch and learn’ sessions and developed practical guidance documents to support colleagues in navigating new digital tools and evolving methodologies, reflecting her commitment to continuous improvement and innovation.

Commenting on her win, Sofia said: “Winning Apprentice of the Year wasn’t something I expected when I started my apprenticeship. I chose this route because I wanted to gain real experience while studying, and it’s given me the opportunity to work on live projects, take on responsibility, and understand how practice really operates. It’s played a huge part in shaping the architect I’m becoming.

I’m incredibly grateful to the team at IMA Architects for their consistent support and for trusting me with meaningful roles on projects – opportunities I don’t believe I would have had so early if I had taken the traditional route to qualification.

This award highlights the real value of Level 7 apprenticeships to our profession, and I’m also thankful to the East Midlands Chamber for recognising the contribution apprentices bring to the future of business.”

Ben Hall, Managing Director at IMA Architects said: “Sofia’s win is thoroughly deserved. Since joining IMA, she has shown exceptional dedication, professionalism and a genuine passion for architecture. She has embraced the apprenticeship route with maturity and determination, consistently exceeding expectations in both her academic and professional work.

“We are incredibly proud of the contribution she has made to the practice and of the example she sets for the next generation of architects.”

IMA Architects has long championed apprenticeships as an alternative route into architecture, combining academic rigour with hands-on experience across live projects. Sofia’s success reinforces the practice’s commitment to investing in future talent and supporting professional development at every stage of a career.