Barnett Waddingham opens route to professional services via apprenticeships

13 July 2018 Consultancy.uk

Apprenticeships are increasingly offering young people direct access to the professional services industry, with programmes mixing day-to-day work experience and professional qualifications. Barnett Waddingham has become the latest firm to announce such a scheme, launching an 18-month programme for school leavers seeking to become financial services pension administrators.

The professional services sector offers young people a wealth of opportunity, yet obtaining a career in the industry is by no means easy, often requiring the attainment of higher education. In recent years however, a more critical eye to the myopic focus on grades has seen companies in the sector broaden their search scope for entry – particularly as correlations were found that such a focus had a negative impact on social mobility.

New entry requirements take a broader approach to recruitment for the sector, with those with a pull to the sector by their interest given the opportunity to take part even without top grades. Indeed, this is now extending to those for whom university is not a chosen path at all, thanks to growing numbers of apprenticeships opening up white collar professions for people from all walks of life.

As part of the diversification, the UK Government has even intervened to support the development of additional pathways into both trades and services through the rollout of a broad apprenticeship scheme - Apprenticeship Levy. On the back of these changes, Barnett Waddingham has announced that the firm is piloting an apprenticeship programme for financial services pension administrators.

The programme spans 18-months, is paid, and will focus on a mix of on-the-job work experience with educational elements focused on attaining a Pension Management Institution (PMI) qualification. Entry into the programme requires 5 or more GCSEs at level C/4 or above, including Mathematics and English.

Commenting on the programme, Jane Galvin, Partner and COO, said, “We are passionate about developing our people through training and qualification programmes at Barnett Waddingham, and this programme will allow us to find the best talent to integrate with our business and contribute towards the way we work.”

She added, “As a company of 1,000 employees, our people are the backbone of Barnett Waddingham and this new scheme will provide each apprentice with a stepping stone to a prosperous career in the industry. As well as stay with us and help us to continue to grow as a business and deliver beyond the expected to our clients.”