Risk & Controls Apprentice Review

I am a risk & controls apprentice at Prudential. As part of my day-to-day role I am responsible for the Risk & Controls mailbox. I distribute any queries to the appropriate members of my team and follow up on any that I am able to respond to. I am also responsible for our internal breach/process error tracker. Each month I log any breaches/process errors and I send this information out to the area managers and training consultants. I am also responsible for the Root Cause Analysis of complaints and prepare this information in a spread sheet that is analysed by my managers.

My soft skills have defiantly developed during my time in the Risk & Controls team as I am constantly communicating with people from all over the business via phone, email & face-to-face. My problem solving skills have also developed as I have had to figure out why certain things are a breach/processing error.

I am really enjoying the Prudential Apprenticeship Programme and can honestly say that there has not been a single day that I have not looked forward to coming to work. Our Apprenticeship Scheme Manager, ::Maria[This section of the comment has been removed by a member of the RateMyApprenticeship Team because it did not meet our site terms and conditions]Maria[This section of the comment has been removed by a member of the RateMyApprenticeship Team because it did not meet our site terms and conditions]Maria Wilcockson:::.

I feel since day one at Prudential I have been valued by each individual I work with and I believe that everyone wants myself and the other apprentices to succeed in everything we do during and after the Apprenticeship Programme ends.

Prudential's Apprenticeship Programme is structured fantastically. We have a number of individuals that are always on hand to help us. Our qualification is scheduled to end months before our contract and this enables us to work closely with Maria to create updated CV's, work on interview skills, find jobs and become even more employable than we already are.

Our training provider is BPP, and our contact with them is called [This section of the comment has been removed by a member of the RateMyApprenticeship Team because it did not meet our site terms and conditions]. My experience with BPP/[This section of the comment has been removed by a member of the RateMyApprenticeship Team because it did not meet our site terms and conditions]Maria:::, she was straight in touch with BPP and ever since has been in regular contact with BPP and all apprentices to ensure that the service being provided by BPP is appropriate.

My line manager is the best manager that I have had over the last 3 years. [This section of the comment has been removed by a member of the RateMyApprenticeship Team because it did not meet our site terms and conditions] is always there to guide me with anything I may struggle with from my workload in the Risk & Controls team to my qualification. She has also helped me to update my CV and will shortly be doing mock interviews with me to prepare me for any interviews I may have in the future.

My salary is very good for an apprenticeship considering some apprentices are paid £3.50 per hour. My salary is more than enough to meet my costs and it also helps that Prudential provide a free bus service to/from work each day (busses also run to the town centre from Prudential on a regular basis throughout the day. I am extremely happy with my Apprentice salary and we have also received a recent pay rise.

Prudential have many opportunities available to us outside of work. Prudential sponsor Ride London and apprentices have the opportunity to volunteer to go down to London (paid for by Prudential) and help with the event. Prudential also do a summer event, this year it is a walk and night over to raise money for charity and everyone has the opportunity to take part in this. In January I attended the Prudential Financial Planning winter conference. We were bussed to the Edinburgh Conference Centre where we listened to a number of speakers - I found this very beneficial as I was able to gain a better understanding of the business and I was also able to meet many of the Financial Advisers who I regularly communicate with via email. After the conference ended we were taken to our hotels where we got ready for a black tie event. We were put up in a hotel for the night and received a 3 course meal and party afterwards. This made me feel welcomed in the business and I really enjoyed this experience. Prudential also give every staff member one day a year to volunteer their time to a local cause. This year myself and the other apprentices volunteered our time at a local community garden that was in much need of some TLC that the local volunteers did not have time to get round to.

Yes

I have already recommended Prudential to a number of friends and family members. The reason I have done so is because it is very clear that Prudential value all of their employees. Prudential provide a free bus service for all employees, great salary, canteen/shop on campus, fantastic training opportunities, clear progression, flexible working hours if this is available. I would love to continue any future employment with Prudential.

One major tip I would give to anyone applying to Prudential would be, be yourself. Everyone at Prudential wants you to be successful and they are willing to put 100% in to you if you are willing to give the same back. I would also say that you should enjoy the process as it is the one chance you get to show how good you are and it will show how much you want the position.