The event included a workshop from RedSTART who provides financial education to young people across the UK. Guest speakers included Hazel Garvey from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales (ICAEW), an interactive session presented by recruitment agency London Works and Arun Assamall, Managing Director of Macquarie Group which included a tour of their trading floor and even gave the apprentices the opportunity to trade.
The apprentices, who have now been on the programme for one year, were then asked to present on their experiences and what valuable lessons they had learnt through the scheme. Apprentice, Sim Aujlu said: “The whole day was absolutely amazing from the RedSTART workshop to the tour of the building. I learned about financial budgeting and to always read the small print of borrowing money from small pay day loans all the way up to mortgages, and how to budget personal finances.”
Apprentice Andrew Kelly also added: “The highlight of my day was seeing the Macquarie team. I learnt a lot from them, about the different aspects of the business - not just financial. It really made me re-think what markets I would like to get in to. The Macquarie team gave me a real insight into what it would be like working within a bank. I would happily do this day again!”
Caroline Adair, Executive Director of Leadership through Sport, reported that Macquarie managers who participated in the networking event and accompanied the apprentices on a tour of their London headquarters were extremely impressed by their maturity and calibre. One manager suggested that Macquarie should take on an apprentice themselves and Rachel Engel, Head of the Macquarie Trust, was very complimentary saying that the College’s apprentices were head and shoulders above other groups they engage with.
Jane O’Neill, Interim Principal and Chief Executive of the College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London commented, “It is fantastic to see employers offering such great opportunities for our apprentices to understand the world of work and gain an insight into the jobs available within their chosen field.”
Leadership through Sport (LTS) is an employability charity which combines sport and business, enabling young adults to reach their full potential and enjoy the benefits of employment.
The College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London’s Accounting Academy has teamed up with LTS in conjunction with Leyton Orient Football Trust to place students in leading financial companies as apprentices working for four days a week in paid employment whilst studying one day a week at college and taking part in a host of LTS activities.
