Pension Administrator Apprentice Review

As a pension administrator I maintain member records, assist scheme trustees, assist with projects, check pension calculations and set up pension payments as well as providing information to financial advisers and communicating with members. Being in the Pension Protection Fund team I also am involved with Benefits Rectification, Data rectification and all the work involved to transfer a scheme to the PPF.

I've completed my Award in Pension Administration Level 2 qualification which gave me the background knowledge in pensions boosting my confidence when dealing with day to day tasks and answering member queries. I've also been provided support with Maths/English/English&Communications for completion of the Functional Skills exam as I don't have GCSC because I completed my studies in Brazil. I have improved my communication skills - specially when sending emails and liaising with clients. Besides the APE we also do the Trustee toolkit modules which expands even more the knowledge in how schemes funded and managed.

I thoroughly enjoy the work I do in the PPF team as the work is varied and I'm always learning something new. When all of that is over for one scheme and it transfers to the PPF, we take on another scheme we have to learn everything about that scheme. The team is great. Everyone is very approachable regardless of ranking which really helps with your confidence and makes you feel part of the team. The company culture is based on quality, partnership and respect.

Induction is eased in with different online modules provided by the company so you get acquainted with the company's culture, goals, policies and values. We also were sent to a few induction sessions in the main office in London which was very helpful and you get to meet some of the partners. Day to day training is provided by the team and you have sessions on topics related to pensions either online or in person. These session help to provide knowledge on top of the APE qualification as every time you have one you learn something new or get to understand something you didn't get the first time. I've been provided loads of support. I was away on maternity leave for a whole year and was provided with all support I needed when I returned to work. There's enough study time awarded to each apprentice prior to exams Catch ups and progress review are often and helpful. Task is delegated by the main administrator as well as the seniors of the schemes and the team leader always checks that I've got enough work or need assistance with work

We receive support with training that we think we need related to day to day work as well as external training such as Maths support for Functional Skills. Support from team members on tasks. There's plenty of guidance for support related to your wellbeing and workload, policies. I've received a lot of support further to my re-introduction into the workplace and wellbeing through member's benefits related to mental health provider

The provider ensures that you've got enough hours of training to meet the apprenticeship's standard. Tutors provided to help with Maths tutoring. They also ensure your Knowledge Statement is up to the standard to pass the apprenticeship. The ensure that you've got enough training which reflects in your own Learning Log. Very supportive.

The training provided definitely helps and provides background knowledge so you're able to grasp the totally new and niche word of pensions. From these I've been able to check pension calculations as well as having more confidence when dealing with members and clients.

There's always charity work opportunities to be a part of, baking sell sessions, rifles. These also were maintained during lockdown (online) which kept people involved and talking about important matters. The team play football every week and there are summer parties,, Christmas parties and annual events for the team, as well as team lunches.

Yes

Barnett Waddingham is a great place to work at. There's plenty of member benefits (if that's what one is looking for), they've also introduced WorkSmart so teams can have a more flexible and beneficial way of working. The no blame culture is quite important and it helps you gain confidence as you're not afraid to ask questions and when you make a mistake it's very likely there's a process in place to fix that. The equipment provided to work are of very good quality and the company has a great integrated system which helps with productivity as well as having guidance available online.

Be prepared for your interview and be yourself. You will be shown around the office on the interview day so you can get a feel for it and people will also be trying to get to know you. Engage with the people responsible for showing you around because you may be working with them soon.