Finance graduate Review
at Centrica
Higher Level Apprenticeship
Accounting
Windsor
Review Submitted: March 2023
Overall Rating
3.5 /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!
3/5
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Overview of Role
4/5
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Skills Development
3.6/5
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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 day to day role involves speaking with various people within finance and the greater business. I take ownership of opex which means that I report and analyse the costs that land within a certain space for a month. Alongside this i also study for my ACA qualification after and during work.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
2/5
I enjoy my job and working with my colleagues however balancing ACA, work and a personal life is difficult. At uni the full time job was studying but now having to balance a full time Job and a qualification is difficult. We have a lot of support from work and Kaplan however it is still a challenge.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
4/5
Yes, i have learnt a lot from work and the ACA. My interpersonal skills have improved greatly and I am more confident in reaching out to colleagues I have never spoke to before. The ACA has given me much more knowledge in ethics around the professional behaviours of an accountant.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
3/5
The structure of the graduate scheme is very clear and organised. The graduate talent board and the young careers talent team maintain communication with us clearly and let us know about any changes happening within the stream. There is a lot of opportunity to get involved with the grad scheme with assessment centres and such.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
4/5
I receive a lot of support from my employer, my manager is part of the graduate talent board and hence I get consistent updates and support. A lot of the streams mix and I have friends in other streams so we all help and support each other. The finance grads all communicate often and help each other with choosing roles and supporting one another.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
3/5
Kaplan provide the tuition and the support from the tutors is great. I have no complaints with the student services as they are always quick to respond and very helpful. The biggest complaint I have is that the admin part of the apprenticeship, such as the OTJ tracker and KSB stuff is very pointless and just a box ticking exercise.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
4/5
There is a big link between my role at work and my qualification. My first year role helped me a lot with two/three of the modules i did and in my second year role i have expanded on my learning and it has helped in my training also. As i work in industry i can see where my work is being used.
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 there are a lot of networking events and teams to join outside of the normal day to day work. I have been on a hiking trip that was organised with some grads and went to a football game with some colleagues also. I work from home and not close to an office so i am unable to get as involved as i would like however there is ample opportunity.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend Centrica to a friend?
Yes
Why?
Centrica is a great place to work, the culture and the people are young and full of energy. The senior leadership team really value Graduates and young hires and this can be clearly seen in the investment they take in us. There are offices based all around the uk and you have the flexibility to work from home also.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to Centrica?
The values of centrica are a key part of the identity. There is a lot going on in the world at the moment around energy surrounding the cost of living crisis. I would recommend any one applying to be up to date on the news around centrica, especially as we recently released our latest financial results
