National Apprenticeship Week is a great time to reflect on the power of people investment which has a multiplier effect across a whole organisation.
Working at Hiscox, in a complex, data rich financial services environment, means that strong analytical skills and confident, well informed leadership are non-negotiables. Understanding data at a deeper level, communicating insight clearly and exercising good judgement are the key ingredients of how we make decisions and handle risk.
To make these capabilities even stronger, we have spent the last three years partnered with Corndel and Imperial Executive Education to provide excellent apprenticeship programmes that concentrate on equipping people with data and leadership skills.
The results of this collaboration are evident:
- 136 employees have improved their skills through the data and leadership pathways.
- 80 have experienced strategic data literacy which has given them more confidence in dealing with complicated information.
- 93% say they have acquired new key skills.
- 94% say they can use in their work what they have learned from their course.
- Half of the people who have been on the courses say they are more ready to take the next step in their career.
"If you get the opportunity to do the data programme, you shouldn't even blink. You shouldn't even think about it. It should just be an immediate yes..." Michaela Ingram, People team, Hiscox
A defining characteristic of these programmes is how they emphasise the practical aspect, colleagues not only get to know new concepts but also are applying them right away. This can be anything from a Power BI dashboard creation that leads to better reporting and operational insights, to delivering data, driven suggestions to senior stakeholders, to spotting the ways that lead to process simplification and better working as a business.
National Apprenticeship Week serves as a perfect time for us to celebrate the colleagues who, with their dedication and drive, have grabbed these chances to the fullest.
A case study developed in partnership with Corndel and Imperial Executive Education is available to read here: Hiscox: Grasping the Data Opportunity - Corndel
