The Yorkshire Building Society is using an apprentice business development adviser at Accord Mortgages as the face of a new campaign promoting apprenticeships.
Jennifer Hadwin (pictured), 26, stars in a new animated video that tells her personal story and how she chose a career at the intermediary lender as an apprentice.
She was working as a sales administrator in the hospitality industry before taking up the apprenticeship opportunity at Yorkshire Building Society, which Accord is part of, in October 2017.
She said: “It’s been great fun watching my own journey to becoming an apprentice with Accord being turned into an animated video. I was really happy to be chosen to highlight the Society’s apprenticeship programme.”
The video can be viewed here.
Hadwin added: “After leaving school I went to the University of Huddersfield and gained a degree in Product Design. Following roles in the hospitality industry I was looking for a new challenge and heard about the apprenticeship programme.
“My apprenticeship with Accord has really helped me to gain a better understanding of financial services and I really enjoy working with brokers to help them get the best mortgages for their customers. I am hoping to be qualified and in a full-time role once my apprenticeship is complete in April next year.”
All apprentices at Yorkshire Building Society are paid above the Living Wage and are recruited on a permanent contract, which entitles them to all of the same benefits as a non-apprentice.
Andy Tupman, emerging talent manager at the mutual ,manages the apprenticeship programme. He said: “We’re committed to providing great career pathways for our apprentices and fostering an inclusive culture for them to thrive.
“For us, there’s no such thing as a typical apprentice. They could be just out of school, looking to change career, newly graduated or just out of retirement. There’s no average age, no average background and no experience required – we would much rather find applicants with the right values and passion for exceeding customer, and in Jennifer’s case, brokers’ expectations.”
The apprenticeship programme last year won the Newcomer Large Employer of the Year Awards at the National Apprenticeship Awards.
