Finance & Commercial Academy Student Review

The scheme consists of multiple placements all throughout the UK and in different business units. You are given responsibility and treated as a "normal" employee. You will be involved in numerous financial or commercial tasks.

As part of the scheme you will be studying towards the CIMA qualification whilst also being given training in excel, presentation skills, customer communication skills and many others. Most of the placements that are on offer will provide you with opportunities to develop your knowledge of the business and general business related skills

I have found the scheme to be extremely enjoyable, every team I have worked with has been helpful and open to collaboration / questions. You get to experience new locations throughout the country and to interact with a large variety of nationalities.

Siemens treat us as full "normal" employees and as such we receive all of the benefits that other employees would receive. The company has a very generous number of benefits, including pension, staff discounts and share plans. Over all, the company clearly values its employees and treats us with respect.

The scheme is very well structured with regular training intervals and guidance on how to progress through the qualification. Each placement has a set duration and you are given the details of your next placement well in advance, which allows you to plan your move if needed.

The training provider has various resources for the different learning methods they offer. They host forums and calls for each course and are available for ad hoc questions and queries regarding access / course timings.

We are given a generous amount of study leave to help towards studying the CIMA qualification. Our scheme manager hosts a weekly call to go through any issues we may have and to provide general updates. She is always available for ad hoc queries and there are many support options available to us, like free counselling and occupational health.

If you have to move for a placement, you are provided with a generous relocation allowance to help you with moving costs / initial rent. The salary is generally good and increases based on exam & on the job performance. If you work hard you can be on a very good salary within a relatively short time frame.

The scheme has quite a lively social side, when based on a site with multiple scheme members there is always something going on. Within the company there are numerous social clubs and event groups which you can join. Details of these are listed on the internal social network.

Yes

The scheme has had a profound impact on my life. Providing me with exceptional opportunities to develop on a personal and professional basis. You are empowered as an employee and given the responsibility to take control of your own development where relevant.

Have a clear idea on what you want to do in your future. Understand that you will need to work in your spare time if you want to progress through the qualification at a good pace.