News
New Apprentice joins our growing North East office
3 March 2015
Sarah Innes has joined JM Glendinning Insurance Brokers North East under the Government’s new apprenticeship scheme. The North East office, which launched in 2013 recently took the decision to recruit an apprentice to complement the existing team as they look to push for further growth.
Sarah joins a specialist team that focuses on finding affordable insurance for SME businesses, many of whom have struggled to find insurance elsewhere. The apprenticeship scheme gives young people an opportunity to gain real-life work experience alongside studying for formal qualifications.
Neil Forrest, Managing Director of JM Glendinning Insurance Brokers North East comments:
“Our North East office launched in 2013 with two people and already, Sarah’s appointment brings our numbers up to ten. I know that succession planning is a real challenge for many insurance brokers, and by the time many of them realise they have a problem it can be too late. We’re continuing to grow so it makes sense for us to be thinking about our succession plan now, and the new apprenticeship scheme looked a great way to recruit and develop good quality staff. We’re part of a group that dates back over 40 years, and yet our office has a very young feel and a start-up mentality. That means we can give people a fast-paced environment where they can develop quickly, whilst still being part of a stable organisation.
The rest of our team have had to learn a lot in a short space of time over the last two years. Most of our clients have struggled to find cover elsewhere because they don’t fit the typical criteria to buy online or through a call centre. So we’ve had to be flexible in the way we work, use our knowledge of the market well and work together very closely as a team. We were keen to find an apprentice who was bright, enthusiastic and could fit right in to a growing business. I was really impressed with Sarah’s attitude and she’s fitted in to the team very quickly. I’m confident that her appointment will be a great benefit to both parties and give Sarah a strong start to her career.”
Sarah joins the business having completed A levels in Business Studies, English Language and History, and is now looking forward to building her understanding of both the company and the insurance industry. In her new role as a Trainee Account Handler, Sarah will be responsible for handling client enquiries and building her knowledge of the insurance market to help her find the appropriate cover. Along the way she will study for professional qualifications from the Chartered Insurance Institute.
Sarah Innes comments:
“I started looking for opportunities through the Government’s apprenticeship website and made contact with one of their approved training providers. When I saw the opportunity with JM Glendinning, what I liked about it was the chance to pick up some experience and skills in a well-established industry, whilst still being actively involved in delivering a service to customers.
I’ve really enjoyed my first few weeks with the business and learnt a lot from my colleagues already. I’ve spent time with people in all areas of the business and been made to feel very welcome. I’m very ambitious to develop my career and I’ve definitely found a role and an employer that will enable me to do this.”
