Cardiff students aspire with Admiral

An Admiral summer internship which offered five Cardiff University students vital work experience in 2021 is to run again in 2022.

#AdmiralAspire partnered with Cardiff to find five Interns through a Females in Tech and BAME placement scheme.

The eight-week scheme proved so successful that two graduates applied to join the graduate programme run by the leading FTSE100 Financial Services company.

Intern Abdul Kasim has been recruited into a permanent part-time Management Information role.

“The internship allowed me to develop technical skills and gave me valuable experience using new software packages,” said Abdul.

“I improved on my ability to work autonomously, embracing taking initiative and utilising my creativity. It gave me the confidence to accept a level of responsibility which I didn’t quite have before.”

Omar Al-Kamil, Abdul’s graduate buddy during the placement, said: “It was great for me to see how Abdul got stuck in with all the work he had been given and he showed a real interest and desire in wanting to learn more about his area. I enjoyed getting to know him and see his confidence grow.”

Two of the 2021 cohort, Abiya Begum and Andrea Torrano, applied for Admiral’s graduate scheme.

Abiya, who worked with the Telematics team, said: “My role as Product Executive allowed me to explore many areas through networking and shadowing. My communication, time management and problem-solving skills have developed hugely!”

Beth White, Abiya’s manager during the programme, added: “Abiya has been a fantastic asset to the team! I’ve seen her confidence blossom in networking, presenting and technical skills. Telematics can’t thank Abiya enough for her hard work. We wish her the best of luck with her future career!”

Andrea, employed in the Diversity & Inclusion team, said: “As a project executive, I looked into Admiral’s family-related policies and identified areas of improvement. This project allowed me to develop skills in project management, develop confidence in giving presentations and a better understanding of HR.”

Cardiff University and Admiral now intend to improve and extend the summer 2022 scheme to reach a wider group of female and BAME students.

Holly Needs, Diversity and Inclusion Lead at Admiral, said: “The aim of Admiral Aspire was to provide valuable real-life experience to an amazing pool of student talent. At Admiral, we are very proud to be a diverse workplace and we’re committed to building an inclusive culture that fosters innovation and trust, where differences are celebrated for the added value they bring.”

Megan Jenkins, Deputy Head, Student Futures, Cardiff University said: “We are thrilled to have been able to work with Admiral this year to create five ring-fenced opportunities via Females in Tech and BAME placement scheme. Being able to offer excellent paid opportunities after such an unsettling period in the jobs market is really gratifying.”