Chartered Management Degree Apprentice Review

Item: Chartered Management Degree Apprentice at First Response Finance Limited
Rating: 4.1
Author: Anonymous

at First Response Finance Limited

Degree Apprenticeship

Finance

Chilwell

Review Submitted: February 2021

Overall Rating

4.1 /5

The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!

4/5 - Overview of Role

4/5 - Skills Development

3.8/5 - Structure and Support

Overview of Role

Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:

4/5

My role involves onboarding and managing the dealerships who provide vehicles to our finance customers. This involves regulatory checks to ensure the dealerships are compliant with the Financial Conduct Authority Guidelines as well as a judgement call as to whether the dealerships are fit for purpose to fulfill the needs of our customers. This also involves regular communication with the dealerships via the phone.

To what extent do you enjoy your programme?

4/5

I really enjoy the program. Being able to incorporate learning from University directly into the workplace is a fantastic way to learn. Also, I am able to direct my career from a young age which will hopefully allow me to get ahead of my peers by engaging in real world business.

Skills Development

Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?

4/5

Communication: Regular communication working in a team and with our dealership partners.
Compliance skills: Have to ensure our dealer partners are compliant with the Financial Conduct Authority.
Data skills: I also play a big part in managing the performance measures for my internal team, meaning I ensure that key performance indicators are understood and actions are taken off the back of this.

Structure and Support

How well organised/structured is your programme?

4/5

Very well. There is never any issues with getting time away from work to attend University and there are fantastic support networks for all aspects of the course. The only thing I would change about the structure, is the ability to rotate in different departments, as I feel this would give me more exposure to the wider business and allow me to gage more of of an understanding of my long-term career plans.

How much support do you receive from your employer?

4/5

Support from our employer is as follows:
- Team Leader: Manages your progress in work
- University Mentor: Supports progress at University and works closely with my team leader
- Other apprentices: Support one another in all aspects.
- Wider business: The organisation itself is very supportive with developing employees, which makes it easy to gain exposure and learning.

How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?

3/5

Support we receive from our training provider is certainly sufficient. The in class time at University is very engaging and we receive very practical assignment tasks which can be applied in the workplace. An area which could be better for this, is the support from our training provider in regards to the EPA, as currently there are quarterly reviews for this which add little value and there is a lack of understanding of our End Point Assessor (CMI)

How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?

4/5

The training certainly helps with building a wider theoretical perspective of a particular function in the organisation e.g. the sales department. It also allows us to challenge what our organisation currently do, and how certain processes/management strategies could be changed.

Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)

4/5

Yes, I am currently part of the YAAN (Young Apprentice Ambassador Network) which allows me to network with other companies through being an apprentice. There is also a large general emphasis on wellbeing and socializing, and is therefore events within the workplace such as 5 aside football and regular team development sessions.

Recommendations & Advice

Would you recommend First Response Finance Limited to a friend?

Yes

Why?

It is a great place to work. There is a very distinctive culture which places people at the heart of what they do, meaning staff are treated extremely well and their views are listened to. I think this is also a great opportunity to build and prosper your career by being part of achieving great service for customers and dealers.

What tips or advice would you give to others applying to First Response Finance Limited?

- Be yourself: The company onboarding process will be able to decide whether you are right for the job.
- Be willing to learn: FRF are a big believer in self-learning and self-development. Therefore, you need to be able to put yourself out of your comfort zone in order to learn new things.
- Try and go above and beyond: It is very easy to blend in with the standard employee who does their day to day job well. Therefore, you need to be willing to do that little bit extra in order to stand out.

View All Company Reviews