New Apprentices get the Premiership Treatment

Dorset’s only independent chartered insurance broker Alan & Thomas recently welcomed their new intake of apprentices and graduates by holding a special induction day for them at the home of AFC Bournemouth. As well as an introduction to Alan & Thomas and insurance broking by directors Susan Reeves and Rob Gale, the four apprentices and one university graduate were treated to a tour of the football stadium and facilities by AFCB Commercial Director Rob Mitchell.

“This is our third year of welcoming apprentices into our business and we wanted to make sure their welcome was a little bit out of the ordinary. Not many people can say they’ve been behind-the-scenes at a premiership football club during their working day! ” explained Susan.

The new recruits were also given an insight into the insurance risks of a football club as Alan & Thomas are the official commercial insurance supplier of AFC Bournemouth, having organised their insurance programme for the past fifteen years. The five new starters will join A&T’s eighty strong workforce across offices in Poole, Gillingham, Dorchester and Basingstoke.

Joining the nationally recognised Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship in Providing Financial Services (Insurance Broking) are George Mansfield, David McKay and Jack Phelps.

George, 20, from Dorchester is a former pupil at Thomas Hardye School in the town where he achieved A levels in in Maths, Physics and ICT; David, 18, is from Three Legged Cross and he recently completed A Levels in Maths, IT and Accounting at Brockenhurst College and Jack, also 18, lives in East Stour in Somerset and is a former student from Gillingham School where he achieved A Levels in Economics, Biology and Media Studies.

As part of their training, they will also join approximately thirty other young broking apprentices from around the UK as part of this year’s intake of the Brokerbility Academy programme. As well as providing mentoring and networking opportunities, the programme leads to the Chartered Insurance Institute’s Certificate in Insurance qualification.

Also joining the Poole-based broker is 18-year old Aidan Pinner. A former Highcliffe Secondary School pupil, Aidan will join the A&T accounts department to provide day-to-day support whilst completing a level 3 Accounting (AAT) apprenticeship.

Twenty-one year old business graduate Jonathan Muncer from Christchurch has joined A&T to provide support for the management functions of the business including HR and compliance. He recently graduated from Plymouth University with a first class honours degree in Business Management.

Alan & Thomas has been instrumental in introducing young people to a career in insurance broking over the past few years having played an integral part in the launch of the nationwide Brokerbility Academy Apprenticeship scheme. They have also visited local schools and colleges to promote insurance broking at Alan & Thomas as an alternative to university.

And the broker’s efforts at promoting their industry have been rewarded when last year they won the Rock Recruitment Rock Star award for Star Company, as a result of their investment, training and development of young people and this year, former A&T apprentice Nick Magee won the Rock Star award for Rising Star.