Investment 2020 host an inspirational Teacher Encounter Day

On Tuesday, 16th July, Investment 2020 hosted an inspirational Teacher Encounter Day for multiple schools across the Central London Careers Hub. The event was attended by eight teachers from separate educational institutions, spanning from mainstream secondary schools to specialist colleges.

Through this holistic industry approach, teachers had the opportunity to dive into the world of Investment Management to gain a greater understanding of the industry, the range of roles and pathways available for students post-16, and to explore the skills and qualities employers are looking for from applicants.

The day began at Investment 2020 headquarters with a briefing of the agenda, before hearing from multiple employees within ‘FinTech’, Financial Tech, Retail Investments Market, Politics, and Investment Management. Teachers were able to interact with the employees in these fields, explore sub-departments they were not aware of, and learn about the skill sets needed from students to pursue these careers. Teachers posed their burning questions to ensure they were fully equipped with the knowledge of these spotlighted careers, what a typical day looks like for these roles, and the specific subject transferable skills from the classroom into Investment.

Before leaving, five trainees who are at various stages of completion for the Investment 2020 programme explained their own experiences of leaving the classroom and the processes of undertaking this specific pathway. They passed on details of the skills they utilize day to day and the advice they would give teachers to educate students, to better prepare them for successful apprenticeship and internship applications.

The agenda encompassed visits to three offices of additional investment organisations within the Investment Association, which included Schroders, Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM), and Columbia Threadneedle. At each of these employers, teachers heard from a diverse range of employees about their career journeys, offering guidance into their sector and current roles. The Early Talent Careers Teams at all organisations gave a clear outline of the pathways and entry requirements for students from post-16 options to post-18 and explained the benefits of alternative technical and vocational pathways within the industry.

Additionally, senior stakeholders at the company gave a holistic overview of the industry and a clear mission statement of how they aim to achieve a continuously improving talent pipeline which seeks to represent inclusive and diverse talent. Several teachers utilized this opportunity to discuss the previous challenges of supporting students into Investment and Financial industries and confirmed that they now felt more confident in how to signpost opportunities to students who have limited industry representation.

Teachers were inquisitive and fully engaged in each of the discussions and seminars held at each office to upskill their own knowledge of the industry, challenge stereotypes, and gain a greater understanding of the sector Labour Market. As the day progressed, the discussion turned to how the learnings of the day will be implemented back in schools; to support students’ understanding of the industry and how to access it. Discussion drew on parallels between the subject-specific taught curriculum and the specific desirable skill sets showcased in the discussions from earlier in the day. Teachers then provided feedback on how they shall support the CPD sessions that Investment 2020 will be delivering back in the school with amplifying pathways into this sector and ensuring students have good representation of this industry.

Following up after the event, educators left equipped with a greater insight into the labour market, the breadth of roles/departments across the Investment Industry, and how students can best be supported from the taught curriculum into one of the many pathways in such as apprenticeship and internship schemes. Its events such as this that inspire educators to inform students first hand of the opportunities out there that they may not usually have access and representation to. Excited to see companies and educators working together such as this to create a diverse and inclusive talent pipeline.