Last summer T. Rowe Price launched its first apprenticeship scheme in the UK. The East London Business Alliance (ELBA) worked in collaboration with the company to set up the scheme and source candidates. A year on we check in with Syed Hussain, the Equity/Investment Apprentice to find out about his experience.

Name/Title/Company: Syed Hussain, Equity/Investment Apprentice

Describe yourself in five words? Diverse, Outgoing, Team-Player, Dedicated, Persistent

Describe your organisation in one sentence: T. Rowe Price is an asset management firm who put their clients first and believes in long term growth in their assets as well as their employees’ skills and knowledge.

Which part of London are you from? I was born and raised in Bethnal Green, Tower Hamlets in east London and am still living there.

Why did you apply for the T. Rowe Price apprenticeship scheme? I have always been interested in the financial industry and I had applied to university, however I wanted to explore other options other than the traditional route of going to university to get the knowledge and experience first-hand. That lead me to look into apprenticeships and ELBA had the perfect one.

What does your placement involve? My placement here at T. Rowe Price involved me rotating to two different departments throughout the company. So far, I have worked with many different departments; the Trading Desk, Portfolio Modelling Group, Investment Liaison, Investment Compliance, Fixed Income Team (Portfolio Investment Analyst) and Marketing Service. I try to get the most knowledge as possible. While working with these various teams and departments I am learning by actually getting involved in the work they do.

What has been your ‘golden moment’ during your placement? My golden moment so far would have to be passing my first industry qualification exam. As well as the apprenticeship, T. Rowe Price have offered to invest in me further and help me gain more knowledge by doing an industry qualification, the Investment Operation Certificate (IOC). For someone like me who had no prior experience or knowledge about the industry, it is a great way to learn the foundations and the theory behind what the firm does along with other members of the industry.

Are there any standout skills you have gained from the apprenticeship scheme that may help you in the future? Other than the level of industry knowledge, I have learnt many different skills. The standout skill so far has been learning how to create and update kits with the Marketing Service team who use Apple MAC’s which I have never used before.

What advice would you give to anyone thinking of applying to be an apprentice? Go for it, you’ve got nothing to lose, and you’ll learn so much. Whatever you do never stop working hard and showing your value. Everyone and everything has a value, so always work hard and never give up, and make excuses. Nothing holds you back but yourself. And also be open to criticism as that’s what helps you develop quicker and better.