Students who participated in the CISI Work Experience Week and Careers in Investment Management Conference 2018 had the opportunity to meet eminent leaders in the financial services sector, including Dame Colette Bowe, chair of the Banking Standards Board; and CISI CEO Simon Culhane, Chartered FCSI.
The 32 students were given placements in firms across Liverpool’s business district for the first part of the week, and had the opportunity to spend time with practitioners, find out more about the different roles and departments in the sector and take part in research projects. Staff made them welcome at Blankstone Sington; Investec Wealth & Investment; Pavis Financial Management; Pershing, a BNY Mellon company; Rathbone Investment Management; Tilney Investment Management Services; and WEALTH at work. One student was offered summer work as a result.
The students involved were from: Archbishop Beck Catholic Sports College; The Blue Coat School; Broughton Hall Catholic High School; Cardinal Heenan Catholic High School; King David High School; St Francis Xavier’s College; St Edward’s College; Maricourt Catholic High School; and St Anselm’s College.
Careers in Investment Management Conference
The week culminated in a two-day conference at Rathbone Investment Management’s impressive Rathbone Hall in the iconic Port of Liverpool Building on the Liverpool waterfront. The conference, organised by the CISI and the Liverpool, Chester and North Wales Committee, was a mix of speakers and interactive team activities.
Dame Colette spoke on the first day about ‘A career in Investment: your chance to shape the future’. The advice she gave, both in her talk and informally over lunch, made a real impression on the students.
Simon spoke on the importance of ethics and integrity in the sector, and presented the students with challenging ethical dilemmas in an interactive session which generated lively debate.
Activities students took part in included a speed networking session with representatives of various roles and seniority sharing their knowledge. They also played a simulated trading game from BNY Mellon, where teams of students decided on their investment strategy and went through several trading periods in shares and commodities. This was a fun, engaging session that brought out students’ competitive sides.
A highlight for students was a Dragon’s Den-type challenge, called Liver Bird’s Den, requiring them to present an investment pitch of a FTSE 100 company to a panel of expert ‘Liver Birds’. With a particular focus on Brexit implications, the Burberry team won the prize for their in-depth analysis and argument. The panel was: Simon; Georgina Hamilton, fund manager at Polar Capital; Dan Nickols, fund manager at Old Mutual Global Investors and Tim Timotheou, Chartered FCSI(Hon), executive director at Quilter Cheviot Investment Management.
Students enjoyed the week and gave positive feedback, with one saying it “provided new perspectives and widened my knowledge” and another saying "It was very worthwhile and inspired my interest in finance as a future career".
A word from the branch presidentLouise McEveley, Chartered MCSI, from Pershing, a BNY Mellon company, and President of the Liverpool Chester & North Wales Committee, said:
“The work experience week and conference in Liverpool offers students a unique opportunity to gain a real insight into the finance/wealth sector and network with professionals. Every year, we are impressed by the standard of professionalism and enthusiasm shown by the students, especially when faced with presenting to some very senior individuals in the sector.
“Over the five years we have been running the program, we have seen students go from quiet individuals to professionals starting their own careers, and coming back to us to help with the conference. Continuing this connection is very important to us as it not only shows that the program works, it allows the individual to give back to the program that got them started on their career path.
“The Liverpool wealth sector is continuing to grow and by developing young talent we are fuelling this growth. I am passionate about being able to offer opportunities to young people in our region and to demonstrate that our sector is accessible and offers good career opportunities to anyone willing to put in the work.
The growth and success of the program is a testament to the hard work and the commitment of the regional committee, our members and the member firms that continue to support the program.”
It wasn't just Liverpool ...
Students were also involved in work experience in London (at Divento Financials; EQ Investors; Close Brothers); Manchester (at Tilney Investment Management Services and Castlefield Investment Partners) and Stoke-on-Trent (at Mitten Clarke) this month.
A number of international students were also placed in the London offices of State Street Global Advisors; Mazars Financial Planning; and SVS Securities.
Inspiring futures and developing the next generation of financial services professionals
The CISI partners with schools, colleges and universities to offer qualifications and careers education for young people to learn about the financial services sector and gain an understanding of the diverse job roles and employment opportunities available. If you or your firm can offer support to our work with education both in Liverpool and in other regions nationally, please contact educationdevelopment@cisi.org