To mark National Apprenticeship Week, Health & Protection speaks to Charlotte Clements, apprentice at Cirencester Friendly (pictured), about being prepared to talk to her peers about protection, the importance of employers providing entry level positions, and her plans for progressing into a full-time role.
Seeking opportunities
“It started in November 2024,” Clements tells Health & Protection.
“I was looking for an apprenticeship with business administration and marketing included and I stumbled across this one.
“The variation in the role as detailed at the interview made it very enticing and it was an opportunity I couldn’t turn down.”
Since that fateful interview and becoming an apprentice with the mutual, Clements reflects that she has learned a lot about herself.
“I’ve learned that I am much more capable than I think I am,” she continues.
“As an apprentice you are given the same responsibilities as any other employee and that does help with career progression and confidence.
“It’s just set me up nicely into the working world.”
Variety of role
Her role within the insurer’s distribution team has seen her work with sales, marketing and adviser services.
This has involved writing copy, design, attending sales events, promotion, and answering adviser enquiries.
“I get to see a wide variation which is very exciting,” Clements continues.
“That’s been my favourite part of the job – the variety of work that I get.
“I am fortunate to be getting the experience that I am and my day-to-days are so different across multiple different teams in the department. It keeps the work fun and interesting.”
However, Clements adds leaving projects ongoing when she is needed in another team has proven a challenge.
“I like to finish and close things off, but where I’ve had my day in one team, I’ll have to leave it to the following week.
“I want to get on and get it done, so that’s sometimes challenging.”
Closing protection gap for young people
A challenge raised by the regulator recently has been around closing the protection gap, and this is a subject Clements maintains that she would raise with her peers.
“My friends are starting to look at houses and things like that,” Clements says.
“The main thing is that without an income, how would they be able to sustain their lifestyle?
“So it’s something that young people do need to be speaking about – whether they have a mortgage, you just need to protect your income.
“It’s often overlooked. People assume they will always have a source of income and be able to work, but the reality is that life is uncertain.
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Foot in the door
As to why apprenticeships matter, Clements reflects that they give people an opportunity and can change career aspirations.
“They give people a foot in the door of an organisation which helps them gain experience in a corporation, helps them decide the career path they want to take and the great transition into the working environment,” Clements says.
“Since starting my apprenticeship I’ve learned a lot about myself and the path I would like to take.
“I’ve had lots of experiences which has enabled me to realise what I wouldn’t pursue in the future as well as areas of strength which I will transfer into my future career.
“It wasn’t an area I thought I would see myself in – mainly because I don’t think young people are talking about protection, so it wasn’t front of mind or something I knew that much about.
“But that being said, business administration and marketing are needed regardless of the sector that they’re in.”
As for her future plans, Clements is settled with the mutual and wants to make the most of her position.
“My career plan is to continue progressing at Cirencester Friendly into a full time role, take my apprenticeship exams next month, and then further settle into the company and keep progressing,” she concludes.
