SureStart. Undergraduate Programme

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1 SureStart Undergraduate Programme

2 CONTENTS SureStart Programme 01 WELCOME 02 INTRODUCTION 03 OUR VALUES 04 A PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATION 05 ENTRY REQUIREMENTS 06 WORKING AT BEWISER 07 INFORMATION 08 HOW TO APPLY 09 GET IN TOUCH

3 01 WELCOME Welcome! The Be Wiser Insurance Group has grown organically to it s current hugely successful position in the Insurance Market through sheer hard work and determination. The last five years have seen the company grow year on year to a point where we now have over 170,000 customers. In large part this achievement is due to the dedication of the staff, supported by the investment we have made in learning and development. There could not be a better time for you to join us. The past few years saw an increase in our focus on developing talent and in this year we are further extending this by introducing the Under Graduate & Graduate Development Programme to be run by our Training Academy. I chose the insurance industry on leaving full-time education myself and I can recommend it to anyone thinking of pursuing a career in the financial services arena. This programme combines work experience with the opportunity to obtain a degree level Insurance qualification whilst receiving a salary. May I suggest you take a look through the prospectus and discover just how much of an opportunity this could be for you. My vision for the future is to provide the insurance industry, and our company in particular, with a wealth of qualified, experienced candidates to ensure the industry is well placed to meet whatever challenges we face in the future. I would like you to be part of that vision. Mark Bower-Dyke CEO & Chairman

4 01 FOREWARD Welcome to our SureStart programme brochure. This year the brochure has been designed by one of our SureStart team members, Max Thompson. Choosing a career is one of the most important decisions you will have to make, and it is one that will affect you for the rest of your life. So how then do you choose a career? We will try to help you by giving you a flavour of the Surestart programme in the pages of this prospectus and show how this can benefit your career. The programme is designed not only to provide you with an insurance qualification, but an all-round work experience too. This is what makes Surestart so unique from other similar programmes. We, at Be Wiser, are really proud to be able to provide such a excellent programme to benefit young people locally and help them to realise their career aspirations. My team will provide you with an outstanding learning experience and prepare you for success in your future career. We will work with you in planning your career from the very beginning. Alongside your qualification you will have the chance to develop realworld skills and experience. Surestart has an intake of about 30 undergraduates each year. This creates an informal, close-knit, friendly, and supportive environment that encourages hard work and academic achievement. We look forward to welcoming you onto our undergraduate programme soon. Crescens George Assistant Director Learning & Organisational Development

5 02 INTRODUCTION The increasing costs of a university education have made it difficult for many to continue studying. This combined with the demands by employers for relevant work experience has made the working world a difficult place for undergraduates & graduates. At Be Wiser we recognise this and want to give young people a positive start on a real career with real qualifications, but without the debt! With this is mind, In September 2012, Be Wiser launched the SureStart development scheme, a programme different to any other in the industry. The objective of the programme was to give opportunities to individuals wanting to start a career in the Financial Services, and provide them with a professional qualification and three full years experience in a rapidly growing business Get paid for 40 hours per week with a guaranteed 18k PA salary. A total of 54k over the three years Guaranteed! Up to 10 hours per week dedicated to education and training During a 3 year period Other professional development opportunities such as leadership training and progression Uncapped performance bonus on top of your monthly earnings For anyone who wants to get a sure start in the world of work, with the prospect of getting a lot of experience with different departments and also a professional qualification, the scheme is perfect! Max SureStart Team Member

6 03 OUR VALUES At Be Wiser we recognise that Our People are Our Business, everything that we do is driven by our values. Our values shape our culture and define who we are. They can be seen in the every day conduct of our business. Value Working Together Integrity for All Service & Satisfaction Excellence & Quality Respect & Civility What you will experience as a member of staff Collaborative working with other departments to achieve our business goals in the best interests of our customers Open and approachable managers, who are impartial and appreciate the work you do The chance to become the best you can be. You will be supported to develop your career with some highly recognised qualifications A culture of continuous improvement, where your ideas are sought after and a real opportunity to make a difference to the business is recognised and rewarded Being listened to and treated with respect. You will be treated as an individual, as we value each and every staff member

7 04 A PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATION Over the three years you are on the programme, you will study towards the Advanced Diploma in Insurance (ACII) which is equivalent to degree level. As part of this process you will: Attend weekly sessions with our external CII trainer Enjoy sessions which are highly interactive and give you plenty of opportunity to gain an understanding of each of the topics. Have self-directed and group study time allocated in your working week. Have access to text books, online resources, comprehensive hand-outs and workbooks Be able to take certificate level exams in-house as we are a registered exam centre The taught sessions with our tutor and the group revision sessions really make the study workload easy to manage and stay on top of Ollie First year team member

8 05 WORKING AT BEWISER During the three years you will be getting stuck in with the business, spending time across all areas to get a sound understanding of how it all fits together to create a successful Broker. Departments you may spend time in include: Sales Customer Services Renewals Audit & Compliance HR & Training Technical underwriting Having been in a few departments around the business I will say the working environment varies with each one. Some are laid back while others can be high intensity environments, one thing they all have in common is that there will always be people around you to help and support you. Natasha Second year team member

9 06 ENTRY REQUIREMENTS We are not looking for the finished product! We are looking for passionate individuals who are seeking an opportunity to start a career in financial services. We are looking to develop a range of people, who have a range of talents. Some of those talents will not have been discovered yet, but that is what the programme is about! We want to give you experience, provide you with a qualification, and find you an area where your talents can be put to use! Entry Requirements A minimum of 9 points (See table) GCSE Maths and English Flexibility to work some evenings and weekends Commitment to the next three years If you fit the description above and like the sound of our programme it s time to get an application in! Qualification Grade No. of Points A 5 A Level (or Equivalent) B 3 C 2 D 1

10 07 INFORMATION Salary & Bonus Traditionally development programmes such as these offer low salaries in exchange for sponsorship through exams. At Be Wiser we want to break the mould, we want our SureStart employees to take on real responsibilities, in real roles and be paid real money! You will receive a salary of 18,000 per annum. As well as a generous basic salary, individuals on the programme are eligible for a performance related Bonus. Targets are achievable and bonus is uncapped. Studying & Exams Examples As part of your SureStart programme you will be studying towards an Advanced level qualification from the Chartered Insurance Institute (The premier professional body for the financial services profession) and you will be taking their exams at certain intervals over the three year period. Study Module Module Description Exam Details IF1 Insurance, Legal & Regulatory Certificate Level PO5 Insurance Law Diploma Level 530 Economics & Business Advanced Diploma Level This unit covers six essential topics, including the insurance market, legal principles, procedures and the major classes of insurance The objective of this unit is to provide an insight into the laws which underpin the operations of insurance. The objective of this unit is to develop knowledge and understanding of the fundamental principles and practices of Insurance economics and business practice. 2 hour exam 100 multiple choice questions 3 hour exam 14 short answer questions and 2 essay / case study questions 3 hour exam 20 Short answer questions

11 08 HOW TO APPLY Now you ve had a chance to find out more. Applying for a place could not be simpler! 1. Send us your CV Using the contact details in this brochure 2. Take part in a telephone interview 3. Attend one of our assessment centres 4. Receive an offer 5. Join in the team start dates between August and October 2014 The assessment day itself was made fun and engaging, somehow suppressing those interview nerves and creating a relaxed environment for me to be myself. With thanks to everyone at Be Wiser; in that one day my self confidence increased so much. Praphan First year team member

12 09 GET IN TOUCH We are very proud of our programme and love talking about it, so if you would like to get in touch to discuss anything further please use the contact details below ( * recruitment@bewiser.co.uk : + Be Wiser Insurance Barrett House Savoy Close Andover SP10 2HZ I can testify that at no point during my childhood I dreamed of being an insurance broker. My only thoughts on insurance were how expensive and dull it was! Thankfully ten minutes after arriving on my assessment day I was shown just how wrong I was. Ben Collins, First year team member

13 Join us for a SureStart to a great career ewiserrecruitment Scan here for more information