Aon plc (NYSE: AON), a leading global professional services firm, is marking the second anniversary of its award-winning work experience programme by welcoming 42 Year 12 and 13 students from Birmingham and the surrounding area to its city centre office. It has also revealed that more than a third (36 percent) of this year’s apprenticeship roles, across the UK, have been filled by students who previously took part in the nationwide programme.
L-R: Yahya Abdalla, Mahir Aden, Siyam Uddin, Faith Benneh Ntow
Launched in 2023, Aon’s Work Insights Programme was established to provide greater access to young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds to careers in financial and professional services. Aon aims to recruit 50 percent of its apprentices through the programme.
At the event in Birmingham, students from Aston Manor Academy Sixth Form, Barr Beacon School, Bilborough College Sixth Form, Cadbury Sixth Form Centre, Central Saint Michaels Sixth Form College, Coundon Court School, Dame Elizabeth Cadbury School, Fortis Academy, George Dixon Academy, Heath Park School, Highfields School, Holly Lodge High School, Joseph Chamberlain Sixth Form College, King Edward VI Aston School, King Edward VI College Stourbridge, King Edward VI Handsworth School for Girls, King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys, Moseley School and Sixth Form, Sandwell College, Solihull Sixth Form College, St Paul’s School for Girls, St Thomas More Catholic School and University College Birmingham Sixth Form met with current Aon apprentices, graduates and colleagues and took part in a series of real workplace challenges.
Phil Sartain, early careers talent acquisition leader at Aon, said:
“Creating pathways into the professional services industry for students from all backgrounds is a priority for Aon, so it’s rewarding to see that a third of this year’s apprentices attended the Work Insights Programme.
“The enthusiasm and potential we’ve seen from West Midlands students reinforces why opportunities like this are so essential to building a more inclusive workforce.”
For further details on the Aon Work Insights Programme visit https://www.aon.com/careers/early-careers/uk/workinsight.