Business Support Assistant Review

My role is a project management role, and this is also what my apprenticeship side of things is about, which means that what I learn through studying is very transferable to what I am doing daily. Coordination and communication is a key part of my day-to-day activities. Every day I am communicating with colleagues and brokers within the company as well as partners across the world, on behalf of my clients (multinational companies), to ensure projects are running on time, on schedule, within scope and on budget. I communicate with people over calls and emails and keep track of projects on excel and report to team members almost daily so we are all on the same page. I also have to communicate with clients, which is fantastic as it means I am developing key professional skills.

I have learnt a lot, and continue to learn every day, in particular, my interpersonal skills have greatly improved as I have to communicate with so many different types of stakeholders daily, and it is important the tone is right according to what level of interest each person has in the project. I have developed my excel skills and my communication skills have improved greatly. Learning how to track a project, and the different approaches that individuals take, as I am on a few different teams and people can vary a lot in their way of working. This is one of the best things about my role, the people! The internal training courses you can do at WTW are almost endless, and we have regular training calls as a team regarding current topics, and these are always very useful for our roles.

I have enjoyed the program, the apprenticeship side of things is interesting and very applicable to real-life situations. The company Training Bytesize are the ones that have taught the material (they are THE BEST and their videos are so interactive and fun, the material is well put together, and the teachers they hire are amazing 10/10). However the company that delivers the tutoring, WTW has been very supportive, and I would highly recommend them, but the reason I have so SO enjoyed my program is the people that I work with, that have been so supportive and encouraging and always willing to help and give constructive feedback. The company that delivers the tutoring on how to complete the study side of things, The Growth Company, are good in terms of the materials they send you to help you complete the work. But the best thing has been WTW and the colleagues I have gained from working at this company.

I would consider the apprenticeship programme and my job to be linked but slightly separate, so this is how I will structure my answer. My apprenticeship program has been well structured, although the induction took a little longer than expected. The Training has been fantastic and very interactive and fun. The support I receive from the Growth Company has been ok. With regards to the work side of things, the support I have received has been amazing and the teams I get to work with are so fun and I learn so much from everyone.

The accesibility of support is 10/10, I feel I can contact anyone of my team members with any kind of question, stupid or not, and they are always happy to answer and will be very understanding of the fact that I am still learning. My manager is incredibly supportive and I can speak openly to her. The people in charge of training at WTW are also very happy to guide us through things, and really lovely to speak to, and have hosted numerous sessions with all apprentices at the company that were very well structured and fun.

My apprenticeship tutor is supportive, but could be better organised. She is on hand for setting up a call with one day's notice to guide/support on questions, and she is always accessible via email. Because her background is in project management, she is knowledgeable about the apprenticeship standards. However her attitude could be more professional.

I feel that the skills I am learning through my qualification, via the training provider are useful for every day work, and in the context of my role, has helped me understand the structure behind projects and the expectations of the role better. I don't know more about the insurance industry from doing my apprenticeship but that is to be expected. I have definitely been able to put theory into practice.

There are definitely lots of extracurricular activities to get involved in at work, there are a a few networks you can join and get involved in, I am involved in the young professionals network, and participate in their events, which are really fun and relaxed. Within our team we also regularly enjoy meals and drinks together (when this was possible) and now that we are on lockdown we have virtual quizzes and weekly catch ups with everyone, or many people set up their own groups/challenges to stay sane and keep in touch. There is a real community feel to our team.

Yes

WTW is a place where there is equally as much to learn as there is hard work. All the colleagues around the world that I have met have been amazing and so supportive and interesting to talk to. There is always something to get involved in outside of your day-to-day role which makes you feel part of a wider community.

Be honest and upfront about your experiences, no matter how different your background is to what you are applying to, as this will be taken into account as something valid and worthy, and they appreciate having people on the teams that have varied experiences as it is recognised this makes us better as a unit.