Just over two years ago, we took a chance and created our first apprenticeship scheme. As an entrepreneurial business, we’re no strangers to trying something new and we had high hopes for the value it could bring to our team and to the individuals involved.

I’m very proud to say the scheme has been an incredible success, even more so than I originally thought it would be - which has ultimately been down to the fantastic people that we’ve found through it to join our team at NOVA Wealth.

Having recently celebrated the second anniversary of its creation, it feels like a fitting moment to look back and discuss our experiences to date, along with why we set it up in the first place.

I also wanted to share some thoughts from our very first cohort on why they chose an apprenticeship scheme, why they chose to work at NOVA and their experiences to date.

I hope this post will inspire you to apply for an apprenticeship if you’re considering one or, if you’re a company, to set up a scheme yourself - you won’t regret it!

I’m delighted to announce we’re about to kick off our third year of this scheme - which means we’re about to start interviewing for our third cohort. It represents a fantastic opportunity for individuals to build a career in an amazing industry whilst, for us, it’s an opportunity to find some brilliant talent.

To Lucy, Naomi and Shanel (our original apprentices): You’ve all been incredible. Thank you for helping to make this scheme such a success - we can’t wait to see your careers continue to evolve from here.

Why we set up an apprenticeship scheme (and why you should too)

As a growing business, we’re constantly hiring and looking for exceptional people to join our team (our open jobs are here if you’re interested!). A few years ago, back in the early stages of NOVA, I had a complete shock moment of realisation that has changed the way we hire ever since…

I’d been discussing with a recruiter a number of the candidates they had been supplying for our Operations Specialist roles. This is a brilliant entry level role for those early in their careers looking to join an amazing industry, where we help people transform their lives and financial futures.

What became apparent is that they had somehow got into their heads that we only wanted university graduates for this role. In digging deeper, they had misunderstood a request from a colleague about a year before on the calibre of people we were after. “So what?” you might think, “Surely top university graduates are exactly what you’re after for a role like this?”.

Well yes, absolutely - we want talented young graduates. But, with the recruiter implementing a requirement of being a graduate, they had put in place a barrier and completely blocked entry to a huge range of people that never went to university… people like me. This really caught me off guard, realising that I wouldn’t be able to join my own company. It was time for a change.

Other paths to university

Going to university is a great option for many people, but it’s not for everyone. Ask yourself, how many people end up in a career where they are using their university degree day to day? It’s a rarity. It’s generally as much about learning skills, building social networks, demonstrating work ethic and ability to study - skills which as a potential employer we look for and value.

But you can demonstrate all those traits to an employer without going to university. Someone who sets up their own business, has learned how to manage cashflows, profit/loss, marketing, resilience, failure. These are all skills and traits they will actually need in another business, so are also hugely valuable to a new employer. Or what about a professional athlete, who routinely demonstrates dedication, work ethic, and problem solving?

And this is only the beginning. When you start looking at how to remove barriers to a given career, you start opening the door to a rich seam of incredible untapped talent that is often overlooked. What’s more, these people have often overcome other barriers and obstacles, which frankly makes them even more impressive.

Other barriers to entry

Another story: a colleague was talking to me about their father and the career his father wanted to do when he was young. His father was told by his parents that he couldn’t do that sort of job because of his race. This wasn’t a barrier the job had put up, but a social barrier his father had imposed upon him by his own parents.

Likewise, there can be huge barriers for those from lower social economic backgrounds. It’s well documented that these social groups often have fewer opportunities but, what’s often not talked about is how overcoming these barriers can really set these people apart.

Let’s imagine someone who went to a “good school” and achieved good grades. Now take someone who, alongside school had to also work to support their family, or had caring responsibilities, whilst the school itself was also not up to standards, yet they still managed to get good grades. Isn’t that the person that you should be hiring? They’re far more impressive on paper. That person has built in a whole load of resilience, drive and determination to get to the same place but from a very different starting point.

An investment into the future

An apprenticeship programme is an investment. You’re investing in smart, hungry, talented people and helping train them to become rock stars in your business in the future. And as with any investment, you need to consider if this is right for you, your business and your circumstances.

For us, it’s been such a success that we immediately repeated the programme the following year, hiring another two apprentices. And I’m delighted to say we’ll be doing the same again this year.

It’s also worth mentioning that as an employer, if you don’t have a scheme in place, you’re already making an element of this investment but not using it. The apprenticeship levy is a cost many businesses are already paying, which is a government incentive designed to entice you to hire and train some apprentices. But if you don’t have a scheme, it means you are paying the levy for no benefit to your business.

Research shows that only 4% of employers are spending their full apprenticeship levy funding, with the average firm only spending 55% of the levy funding available to them. That’s money that you could be investing into great people and your business.

Summary

By backing people that might not normally get an opportunity to work in a business like yours, you’ll almost certainly be blown away by how well they get on. These are people who want to work and learn - they’ve made the active decision to do so. And you’ll be able to develop them into incredible candidates for future roles in your business.

Not only that, but you’ll be opening the door to help someone build their career and future. If that doesn’t make you want to get out of bed and set up a scheme, I don’t know what will.

A few words from our original apprentices (who are all now fulltime employees of NOVA)

We’ll be kicking off our next apprentice cohort in April (watch this space if you’re interested). In the meantime, here are a few words from our first three apprentices:

Lucy

I joined NOVA back in November 2022, shortly after finishing my A Levels in the summer. I opted for an apprenticeship because I acknowledged that uni wasn’t the only path to success.

Whilst I knew this, my teachers were very resistant to encouraging a route other than uni. Despite their doubt, I remained secure in my decision and chose not to apply to uni.

A wide range of companies offer Digital Business apprenticeships, so I was applying across various industries, however, I was drawn to NOVA. Coming in just over two years ago was such a defining moment and really set the tone of whether I had made the right decision. The environment and culture of NOVA has enabled me to not look back in my decision.

Whilst coming into an office job at only 18 was definitely daunting, our team were so excited to have us, ready to help and gave us so much encouragement which was completely invaluable. Despite only leaving sixth form around two years ago, we have been given the opportunity to kick-start our careers and gain such valuable experiences through the help of people all across the business.

I would strongly encourage people to explore apprenticeships because you might never look back!

Naomi

I chose to do an apprenticeship at NOVA because it offered an amazing opportunity to grow both personally and professionally. Through this experience, I have gained confidence, learned so much about the industry, and connected with a wide range of so many knowledgeable people.

An apprenticeship appealed to me because it allowed me to combine practical work experience with earning a qualification, rather than pursuing a traditional educational path before starting work. I’ve found the journey to be amazing, challenging, and rewarding all at once.

The hands-on learning at NOVA, along with the support and encouragement from everyone here, has made this experience so enjoyable and worthwhile. No regrets!

Shanel

My apprenticeship at NOVA was a great experience and starting point for my career.

I hadn’t planned on joining this industry, but the experience has opened my eyes to endless job opportunities I now look forward to exploring. I always wanted an apprenticeship because learning while earning seemed like a no-brainer, however, I initially went to college as an apprenticeship seemed unattainable at the time.

After leaving college due to health reasons, I felt behind compared to my peers. Choosing an apprenticeship was the perfect way to catch up, gain useful skills and earn an income whilst building my independence in the background.

I’m super happy with my decision as it’s changed my life in many ways., I’ve gained confidence in myself, learned how businesses operate and developed key workplace skills.

NOVA has been a huge part of my growth as an individual. The supportive and collaborative culture here is one of a kind, with everyone always willing to help with both work and life challenges.