Cardiff-based FTSE 100 company, Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM), is supporting Apprenticeship Week Wales after developing the leadership skills of 18 of its managers through an in-house apprenticeship programme.

The investment arm of Legal & General Group provides index fund management for both large companies and individual investors. With 238 members of staff, LGIM has worked alongside a training provider to develop a bespoke apprenticeship programme.

Apprenticeship Week Wales 2019 runs from 4 to 8 March. It celebrates the positive impact apprenticeships have on both, individuals and businesses, as well as recognising the skills and talent apprentices can bring to the workplace.

LGIM has trained two Learning & Development Consultants to become apprenticeship assessors, conducting the entire qualification in house ensuring its meaningful to the business.

Initially offering Level 4 and 5 Higher Apprenticeships in Leadership and Management, LGIM then offered apprenticeship programmes such as Business Improvement Techniques and Information, Advice and Guidance apprenticeship to members of staff across the Cardiff division.

Sarah Evans, LGIM Learning and Development Manager, said: “In the past, I had quite an out-dated view of apprenticeships and thought they were suited to people at the start of their career and mainly focusing on trades.

“When we were refreshing our training programme, we wanted to offer a qualification that would professionalise the management role and provide a benchmark – bringing everyone’s skills up to the same standard.

“We decided to go one step further and actually qualify to become apprenticeship assessors, as this way we could review the individual’s ability day-to-day and ensure everyone completed the course on time and developed relevant skills for the business.

“Anyone can write an assignment, but we need people to be able to apply their skills to the workplace.

“We are now looking at rolling out apprenticeships to the wider team and have seen a significant increase in our staff’s commitment. The team is more engaged, resulting in our customers receiving a better standard of service. For us the flexibility of the qualification is key to its success and I think it definitely provides us with an edge.”

The Apprenticeship Programme is funded by the Welsh Government with the support of the European Social Fund.

Elinor Worthington, 36 from Bridgend completed aLevel 4 Apprenticeship in Leadership & Management and the Level 4 Internal Vocational Quality Assessing qualification at Legal and General. She said: “When I started work in the financial services industry 15 years ago, I would never have imagined that one day I would get the opportunity to undertake a higher apprenticeship, let alone become an apprenticeship assessor.

“Since we’ve started offering in house apprenticeships, I’ve really come to appreciate the benefits of combining theoretical learning with more practical skills application. Working as an in-house assessor allows me to tailor the delivery program that will not only help the apprentices gain new skills but also develop the skills, knowledge and behaviours that Legal & General expect from its managers. “

Minister for economy and transport, Ken Skates said: “Apprenticeship Week Wales is the perfect opportunity to celebrate the alternative routes into employment available to young people across the country. As we can see, apprenticeships are clearly well regarded by our learners, but also businesses that are using apprenticeships as solutions to skills shortages and recruitment.

“Apprenticeships are a key investment for employers and a great way to tailor an employee’s skillsets to carefully meet the demands of a business and nurturing the talent of Wales as a whole.”

To find out how your business could benefit from recruiting an apprentice, visit Skills Gateway for Business at https://businesswales.gov.wales/skillsgateway/skills-and-training-programmes/apprenticeships or call 03000 6 03000. Also visit www.facebook.com/apprenticeshipscymru or @apprenticewales on Twitter, and follow the story using the hashtag #AWWales.