"If you’ve got growth ambitions, securing a talent pipeline is essential."
Last year, Cirencester Friendly launched an apprenticeship programme with local agency, The Apprenticeship Partner (TAP), offering eight participants regular assessments as they work towards their nationally recognised qualification.
READ MORE: Cirencester Friendly partners with local agency to launch apprenticeship scheme
These apprentices have been covering both customer-facing and technology roles. I spoke with Amy Hampson, Charlotte Clements, and Edward Taylor about what they hope to learn over the next eighteen months:
Amy Hampson
Before starting her apprenticeship at Cirencester, Amy was working full-time in retail. While she hadn’t considered a career in Financial Services, she was drawn to the opportunity to work, study, and gain experience at the same time.
"I was attracted to the apprenticeship due to the wide range of responsibilities and tasks stated in the job description."
Despite knowing about Cirencester and Income Protection (IP) before applying, Amy hadn’t fully grasped how beneficial protection products could be or just how differently mutual organisations operate compared to commercial enterprises.
Looking ahead, Amy is excited to continue building relationships and gain confidence in her role. "The most valuable thing I’ve learnt as an apprentice is to keep asking questions and that effective communication is vital in whatever role you have," she said.
Charlotte Clements
Charlotte also has a background in retail, having worked at Marks & Spencer (M&S) for three years. "I decided to apply for this apprenticeship because I could learn and earn at the same time,” she explained.
Charlotte hadn’t heard of IP before joining Cirencester; "At my age, I didn’t have a reason to think about it," she admitted. Therefore, she’s valued learning about Cirencester’s products which has helped her gain confidence when dealing with advisers.
Over the next few months, Charlotte is looking forward to gaining more experience in sales, marketing and adviser services to find the area of the business which best suits her skills.
Edward Taylor
Before applying for Cirencester’s apprenticeship scheme, Edward spent nine years as a furniture restorer but wanted to try something new. After studying for a couple of years, he thought an apprenticeship would be the best way to get a foot in the door.
“Moving into web design appealed to me. In my old career, I was used to being very creative and building things from scratch, so I thought I’d enjoy doing the same in the digital world.”
Edward hadn’t heard of Cirencester or IP before joining as an apprentice but was drawn to the scheme’s blend of learning and real-world application. He's now confident that a career in web development is something he wants to pursue.
“It’s been a big change going from the workshop to an office environment, but the support has been incredible. I’m looking forward to working on larger projects and developing my skills further,” he added.
