• Two-year ‘Pathway’ scheme extended beyond the contact centre to now include career opportunities across BGL business for local young people
• Offers Peterborough students a chance to develop workplace skills and complete professional qualifications

LEADING Peterborough employer Fusion Contact Centre Services is evolving a successful development programme to now include opportunities across the wider BGL Group. The scheme, previously known as Fusion Pathway, has been lengthened to span two years and gives A-Level students a professional alternative to university education.

Full time places are offered to pupils from local schools who, as part of the programme, study for formal financial services qualifications with the backing of the business. Now, in addition to working in the contact centre, the 2014 intake will benefit from new placements in core areas of the BGL business, including those responsible for insurance policy pricing, partner relationships and recruitment.

Della Garmory, HR director for intermediated businesses at BGL, said, “This programme is seen as a viable alternative to higher education, for students looking for work placements, mentoring and access to professional qualifications – while earning a full time salary. The success of our initial Fusion Pathway programme has led us to evolve and strengthen our training, meaning students can take their first steps in business and learn how to build a great career from some of BGL’s leading employees.”

Four Peterborough school leavers are already building their careers on the Pathway programme. Jonathan Kingston, Andrew Parkin and Jordan Mitchell from Ormiston Bushfield Academy, and Laura Bunning from The Deepings School have been placed on comprehensive secondments around the growing business, having completed an initial six-month placement in Fusion’s contact centre. Training in formal Chartered Insurance Institute (Cii) qualifications is fully supported by the programme and two students are already well on their way to completing the ¬ Certificate in Insurance.

Laura Bunning, who started out on the Fusion Pathway Programme in September 2013, said, “Launching my career in this way made perfect sense, given the opportunities for growth and development available to me as an employee of the wider BGL Group. We all wanted to explore alternatives to university education and from day one none of us have looked back!”

For more information about job opportunities at Fusion Peterborough, please visit http://www.bglgroup.co.uk/careers.php