Over to the interns: A week with Pen
Published On : 13 Sep 2024
Ever wondered what your interns really think about the time they spend with you, the industry you work in and your own business?
We decided to find out, by asking our cohort of 2024 students that spent time with us as part of the wider Futures Academy scheme.
The great news is our interns reported their week with Pen was not only a positive “eye-opener” about the industry but “exceeded expectations” and was a far cry from the “mundane, boring, desk-based emailing” they feared a week in insurance may bring. Phew.
But before you take a look at all they had to say, here’s a bit more about how they came to be with us.
This summer – and alongside Pen’s own programmes focused on bringing in and shaping the industry’s next generation of talent from more socially and regionally diverse backgrounds – we were delighted to host four interns as part of the London Market Group’s second Futures Academy.
Based in the City, this scheme is aimed at giving local school and college students the opportunity to learn specifically about careers in speciality insurance through an immersive two-week programme. Building on its successful launch in 2023, the 2024 summer cohort was 50% bigger, involving 150 students in total.
Pen was absolutely delighted to host four fantastic students – Isabella, Fernando, Tomisin and Jamal – who joined us for their second week, when all 150 students headed out to one of 50 participating firms to find out what life in specialty insurance is really like.
These individual placements followed a week together in London based around skills and insight workshops, including Dragon’s Den-style insurance hothouse sessions where students worked in groups to develop new ideas to solve market challenges, as well as receive tailored advice to prepare them for their upcoming individual placements with firms.
The programme culminated in a Careers festival based in Lloyd’s, bringing all 150 students back together again to explore opportunities further and share their experiences.
Our four students came to us from Woolwich Polytechnic School, Saracens High School and The Compton school, where they are studying for everything from Maths, Finance and Business through to Psychology, Physics and English Literature.
To become part of the scheme, students had to take part in a selection process, with the qualifying requirement that they are between the ages of 16-18 and sit lower on the spectrum of social mobility, denoting inequality of opportunity. And during their time with Pen they participated in a diverse range of sessions run by different teams across the Pen family, including client broker meetings and a trip to Lloyd’s.
Sam Tomkinson, who leads Pen’s Social Mobility outreach programme as part of the wider SM Inclusion & Diversity workstream, said: “It was an absolute privilege to spend time with Fernando, Isabella, Jamal and Tomisin – four bright, inquisitive, interactive individuals who were hungry to gather as much insight as possible into what a career in specialty insurance could offer them.
“Hearing their time with Pen exceeded their expectations, how they experienced our ‘One Pen’ inclusive culture first hand and how we were able to shine a light on the enormous range of potential careers within one industry, was brilliant and a credit to all those who contributed. The LMG’s Academy programme is a great scheme that we were proud to participate in once more, alongside our broader UK-wide work aimed at attracting and retaining the next generation from diverse backgrounds.
“What is for certain, all four have bright futures ahead of them and everyone at Pen really enjoyed meeting and engaging with them.”
To see what the interns had to say, visit: https://youtu.be/hmg2h4ZqfHQ
