Compliance Apprentice Review

I work within the Code of Ethics team in Compliance, where we monitor employee behaviour in regards to Gifts & Hospitality and Personal Account dealing. Essentially, my team check that issues such as insider dealing and bribery are minimised by having rigorous preventative controls and thorough monitoring procedures. Some of my responsibilities include produce monthly data and presenting it to the team on what I found from my monitoring that month.

I have had the opportunity to use different systems as well as improve on my Microsoft Office skills. Some of the systems I use daily such as StarCompliance is used across other firms, so I am able to strengthen my CV by displaying specialist knowledge. Through the apprenticeship scheme, I have also been able to attend workshops to improve my soft skills e.g. how to transition from a ''Classroom to Corporate'' environment. With the support of my team, I have gained confidence in speaking to people in different areas of the business and continue to improve on my ability to build a rapport.

The M&G Talent Team provide many opportunities to attend external event (via Investment2020 and others) to widen my network and get a feel of other areas in the financial sector. Attending these events are enjoyable and a good way of meeting new people. My cohort of apprentices are all very good friends now; we go to events together, meet up for lunch and revise together! The company culture at M&G is very supportive of young people; my team were enthusiastic to welcome me as an apprentice and others within the business are helpful and respectful.

I thoroughly enjoy the apprenticeship programme; whilst it can be difficulty at times, the HR Long Term Talent Team are incredibly supportive. My external training provider keeps me on track in regards to exams and portfolio work and is very helpful with any issues I may have. Often, it can be difficult to reach work deadlines as well as revise however my manager understands this and trusts me to prioritize my work accordingly.

I believe M&G work incredibly hard in providing the best support to young people at the firm, constantly responding to feedback and organising events/training to improve our experience. I have a HR contact that I meet with regularly, meetings with my manager, department head and apprentice buddy also. If I have any concerns or need advice, there are many people I can speak to.

My training provider ensures I am on track with my work and always gives good tips on how best to build my portfolio. I have a coach who I meet with regularly; we discuss how I am handling everything and wants me to reach my full potential. Any issues I am having, my coach is always understanding.

My qualification covers a lot of areas that relate to my role, however it aims to cover overall aspects of the financial services sector which does not always fit with my role. This is actually better as I get to understand the wider business, outside of what I do day to day. This also will be attractive to employers in the future as it demonstrates my wider understanding, aside from Compliance.

Yes- my firm has many Sports and Social events to get involved in such as yoga, football. As an apprentice on the Investment 2020 scheme, there are many social events and networking events that take place where we can meet other apprentices, trainees and graduates on the scheme. HR also let us know about any extra-curricular things to get involved in.

Yes

M&G are very supportive of young people; I believe they deliver the apprenticeship in the best possible way, focusing on building our skills set and network so that we show growth by the end of the apprenticeship. The culture is unlike other financial firms and a brilliant environment to start your professional career.

The interview process is really about enthusiasm- my initial application to M&G was unsuccessful as I was not passionate about the role however my second application the following year was much stronger. Employers want to see individuals with a drive to learn as the apprenticeship requires someone who can balance work and study.