Jennie Short, NFU Mutual’s Apprenticeship Programme Adviser, explains why the scheme is so valuable to both the company and employees.
I am NFU Mutual’s Apprenticeship Programme Adviser responsible for supporting apprenticeship programmes across our business. Whether I’m helping departments with their apprentice recruitment or working with Government-approved apprenticeship training providers, I’m the person who makes sure our apprenticeships run smoothly.
Here at NFU Mutual, we’re always on the look out for technical and specialist talent with leadership potential. By empowering our apprentices to succeed and offering them plenty of chances to grow during their training, we’re creating the next generation of leaders. We invest in the people we hire so that they can carve out a future with us. And we pay all of our apprentices above the minimum wage to help them to obtain a range of professional qualifications.
We believe in giving smart, enthusiastic people the training and development opportunities they need to flourish. That means making them feel like a part of our company by ensuring they get the same benefits as their permanent colleagues. With 25 days’ holiday per year, flexible working, and wellbeing packages such as discounted gym membership, an onsite café, a pension scheme and an annual bonus we help each and every one of our apprentices to feel supported.
Commitment and enthusiasm is the key to doing well at NFU Mutual. If you’ve got a positive attitude and a genuine interest in the role you’re applying for, you’ll get all the support you need to go far. Normally, we expect our Apprentices to have strong communication skills and IT skills, as well as good GSCE grades in English and Maths. Most of all we look for people who have really thought about why they want to work for us. If it’s clear that you’ve done your research into our organisation and the apprenticeship you’re applying for, we’ll feel confident that you’re committed to a career here.
Our assessment process is your chance to really shine. Remember to plan your route and make sure that you’re clear on which site you need to go to so that you turn up on time. Dress appropriately and make sure you’ve done your prep work; there’s tons of information on our website to help you get started. Research the job role in-depth and prepare lots of examples of where you’ve demonstrated the skills and experience that would make you a great fit. Don’t limit these examples to your work experience only; instead, talk about how your personal interests and experiences have helped to make you who you are today. Feel free to ask questions about the organisation and the role – it shows us that you’ve really thought about what it would be like to work here! And, most of all, be confident in yourself; we want to meet the real you and help you to get to know the real us.