27 August 2024
On 22 August 2024, IFoA volunteers, IFoA members, EY Foundation staff, IFoA staff, and family came together to celebrate graduates of the first ‘Actuaries: Data Driven Futures’ programme.
The programme was launched on 12 August 2024, to provide work experience and mentoring opportunities for young people who may face barriers into employment.
It was delivered by a team of IFoA volunteers, members, actuarial employers, the EY Foundation and the IFoA, all collaborating to support the 22 young people who took part, who were interested in exploring a career as an actuary.
The programme also plays an important part in enabling the IFoA to make tangible progress in key areas of its DEI Strategy, particularly in terms of widening access to the profession and raising awareness of actuarial careers.
The first week was hosted by EY at its London hub and began with IFoA President Kartina Tahir Thomson introducing participants to the programme.
IFoA Fellows and IFoA student members were actively involved in panel discussions, sharing their own insights, experiences and advice. The volunteers helped those attending to develop their employability skills, through interactive workshops and skills sessions covering a range of areas including communication, CV writing, and teamwork.
At the end of the week, those in the programme put their new skills into practice in an interactive, teamwork-focused, Dragon’s Den-style challenge.
During the second week of the programme participants joined one of six actuarial employers – APR, Barnett Waddingham, GAD, Isio, Just, and Legal & General – to gain hands on experience of actuarial work.
Each employer put together a detailed agenda providing a thorough insight into the day-to-day working of an actuarial environment. Through 1-2-1 meetings with actuaries, attending client meetings, and sessions with talent and recruitment teams, participants were able to see how the skills they gained during week one of the programme could be applied in a work environment. Each employer set a business challenge giving participants the chance to work independently, reflecting on their new knowledge of the actuarial profession and the working world.
Rehman, who participated in the Data Driven Futures programme, said:
“I wanted to learn more about the mysterious job of an actuary. I have enjoyed talking to experienced actuaries and I love that I get a mentor to speak to and gain knowledge from.”
The two week programmed ended with participants, IFoA volunteers, members and employers gathering for a graduation ceremony on 22 August. Award categories recognised key aspects of the programme and the hard work of each participant.
As part of the programme, those attending will receive mentoring for a year to support them in their development, learning and career goals.
IFoA CEO (Interim) Ben Kemp and IFoA Council member Peter Tompkins rounded off the celebrations with their closing remarks. They reflected on the collaboration across the profession to make this programme a success, and the importance of creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive sector.
IFoA President Kartina Tahir Thomson said:
“In the actuarial profession we want to create welcoming and encouraging places for all to bring their true selves and the gifts they have to the workplace. This is why the Data Driven Futures programme is so important – to show young people the career options available to them that they may not previously have considered, and to equip them with practical skills to help them achieve their aspirations.
“The actuarial profession wants to be able to attract talented individuals from the widest pool of potential. Diversity of thought, experiences and background is how we create strong teams that enable us to flourish.”