Risk and Compliance Apprentice Review

My role predominately consists of managing the risk management framework, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) mailbox. This involves communicating with stakeholders, both within my team and other departments within the FCA to fulfil the daily tasks. In addition to daily tasks, I have also been involved in projects such as the RCSA risk reviews and risk refresh.

I have had the opportunity to attend training sessions to develop existing skills such as written communication and familiarise myself with the various systems and processes that I use frequently in my role such as CammsRisk and SharePoint. To keep updated with new changes in these processes, I have had the opportunity to attend refresher sessions to maintain my skillset.

I thoroughly enjoy my programme. The opportunities that the FCA has provided to me has enabled me to develop my skillset and network with a variety of colleagues from diverse backgrounds. The CEO Challenge I did enabled me to develop teamwork skills and foster lasting working relationships with my apprentices and graduates from different departments. The apprenticeship studies has allowed me to reflect on the work that I have done for the FCA and how that impacts my department and the wider FCA.

The programme is well organised where I have a clear understanding of what the expectations are with the studying aspect. For instance, for the end point assessment (EPA), I understand what L/O's I need to fulfil and how I can do this with examples given to provide additional context.

The support I have received from my employer has been expectational to say the least. For example, they have been very accommodating of my Asperger's Syndrome diagnosis. For instance, they do their best to let me know of any changes in my role and workplace beforehand which enabled me to mentally prepare and plan ahead to ensure that I continue fulfilling my role to the best of my ability.

I receive significant support from my training provider when it comes to working on my studies. They have provided me with constructive feedback on the reflective statements I did for the EPA and beforehand. This support enabled me to continually improve on the quality of my work and build on my confidence for the upcoming professional discussion and structured interview.

I feel that the qualification I am working towards has helped me to perform better in my role to some degree. The work that I have done in my studies has enabled me to reflect on my day to day role and improve on my writing skills and evidence building.

There are opportunities to participate in extra curricular activities in the FCA. These opportunities range from professional networking events to social activities and are publicised in the monthly newsletter. For the apprenticeship, there is the CEO challenge which is an opportunity to collaborate with other apprentices and graduates to deliver a community project in the local area.

Yes

I would recommend the FCA to a friend if they are looking to kickstart their career in Financial Services. The regulator is a fantastic place to start out with plenty of opportunities to gain new and/or develop existing skills to help you in your day to day role with training programmes. There are also networking opportunities to build working relationships with colleagues across the FCA.

My advice for those applying to the FCA is to not worry about asking a lot of questions in their role, especially in the beginning. Reason for this is that there can be quite a lot to learn depending on which department you're in and by asking a lot of questions in the beginning, it means that you're in a better position to complete the work to a good standard.