C&ORC IB Data Analytics Apprentice Review

My role as an Investment Bank aligned Compliance and Operational Risk Control Data Analytics Apprentice largely involves working to automate manual, repetitive processes for other teams so that they can focus their time on more important tasks. To do this I have had to learn various automation tools during my time here such as Alteryx and the robotics software Automation Anywhere. Once I have created the automated processes I either hand the process over to the team it was designed for or continue to run it on an intermittent basis myself.

As I had no significant technical experience prior to starting my apprenticeship, I had to learn various tools in order to undertake my role to the expected standard, especially as I work with confidential data and mistakes are easily made. My team sent me on training courses for the automation software Alteryx and Automation Anywhere and regularly encourage me to attend online tutorials and webinars that will help me learn new skills/ build on current skills.

I have massively enjoyed my apprenticeship programme so far as it has greatly exceeded my expectations. I have been trained thoroughly and subsequently given much more responsibility than I expected, which has encouraged me to share and develop my ideas with others, enhancing my communication skills in the process. There is also lots of support from both the training provider and within UBS if I have any questions or am facing any challenges.

The programme is very well organised as I have regular meetings with the Growth Company (a glitch meant I could not select them in the Job Details section) to check my progress and to inform me of the next steps regarding my exams/ portfolio. I've had regular training sessions from Fitch Learning to build work-related skills such as teamwork and communication. I get one study day a month to focus on my apprenticeship and ensure I am making progress and there is flexibility to schedule exams so that they do not coincide with particularly busy times of work.

UBS has been an extremely supportive employer so far in my apprenticeship. There is a dedicated Junior Talent team with members specifically working with apprentices in each business area and whenever I have had questions about my apprenticeship/ training I have always received a prompt and helpful response. Fortunately UBS cares about training junior employees so there 'meeting corners' to sign up to, where more senior members of a variety of teams across all areas explain their roles to give a wider view of UBS so we're not only learning about our own teams.

The Growth Company has been fantastic in ensuring I feel confident about approaching my exams for my apprenticeship. I have a training log to record when I have attended a training session so that I can track my learning, as well as reviews every 3 months where myself and my supervisor rate me against my knowledge, skills and behaviours objectives for the apprenticeship to ensure I am progressing. As well as this I have frequent calls where I can ask questions and find out more about my next steps for the apprenticeships and often receive helpful documents to look through afterwards and share with my manager to make sure they are also up to date.

My apprenticeship has helped me greatly in my role as I am often working with various data sets which I did not understand at the beginning of my time at UBS as I had no knowledge of the compliance and operational risk teams those data sets came from and what they did. Now that I have studied Securities and Investment as well as Risk in Financial Services, I have a fuller view of compliance and how the teams work with the business and why their roles are important, as well as what the data is showing. This enables me to do my work more efficiently as I can better tell what the teams may be looking for from automation and which questions are important to ask them in meetings to advance my understanding of their requirements further.

There are many networks to get involved with at UBS to meet new people and network, including a cultural awareness network, public speaking network, ladies in technology network and mental health network. All networks set up sessions for their members to hear from internal/external speakers, ask questions and have refreshments and network afterwards. Employees can also volunteer to speak about their own experiences at UBSOneTalk which is held each month. There are also sports and musical activities to find out about through the intranet.

Yes

The culture at UBS is extremely supportive and focused on self-improvement, which is very encouraging for a young person in their first full-time job as there is no shame in asking questions and collaborating with your peers. I have received so much training since I have been here and built up my confidence significantly. Although the work is challenging and balancing the apprenticeship exams at the same time can be tricky, I have never felt overworked or unable to voice my concerns.

For others applying to UBS I would say enthusiasm and a willingness to learn are integral. Everyone has room for development and UBS is a great place to be learning as many people stay at the company for many years and so have lots of knowledge. Integrity is also extremely important as it is one of the 'three keys' due to the confidential nature of a lot of the work done here, so showing you are trustworthy should be a priority.