CANDI A Level Student wins place on highly competitive Aon apprenticeship programme for 2024

A Level student accepts an apprenticeship with Aon after participating in a range of career programmes facilitated by the college careers team.

Ruben Bonomo, a Year 13 A Level Student from City and Islington College (CANDI), has successfully won a place on a prestigious and competitive apprenticeship scheme with Aon. Aon is a global expert in Risk Capital and Human Capital and their apprenticeship scheme has been listed among the top 100 employers by RateMyApprenticeship.

Ruben is studying A Levels in Economics, Psychology and Music at CANDI’s Sixth Form College in Angel and will complete his courses this summer. While studying at CANDI, Ruben has taken part in a variety of initiatives offered and facilitated by the college’s careers department. He participated in the Lloyds Junior Scholars programme which develops students’ finance skills and boosts employability. During the programme, he worked closely with Lloyds apprentices and was selected for a one-week summer work experience placement at Lloyds Banking Group. 

Ruben has also been an active participant in the programme offered by Career Ready, a national social mobility charity which connects employers and educators to provide better opportunities to young people. The charity provides mentor meetings, paid internships, workplace visits and masterclasses. As a result of the programme, Ruben has been mentored by SMBC Banking throughout his time at CANDI and completed a four-week summer internship with them in 2023. Ruben also completed the Big Alliance mentoring programme which matches volunteers from local businesses to students in schools and colleges across Islington.

It was Ruben’s experience of working with Lloyds apprentices that inspired him to consider an apprenticeship after completing his A Levels. After applying for a number of business and finance apprenticeships, Ruben was shortlisted for an apprenticeship with Aon and made it through to the assessment day, where he joined around 40 other candidates to complete group activities and attend a formal interview. His suitability for the programme was also informally assessed during a lunch, a tour and a Q&A session.

Ruben gained a great deal of experience in corporate environments through his participation in CCCG’s career programmes supported by the careers team. These experiences enabled him to step into the apprenticeship application process with ease and experience. As a result, he was able to demonstrate his skills and show how he would be an asset to Aon during the interview. Following the assessment day, Ruben was offered a place on Aon’s Commercial Risk and Reinsurance Broking Higher Level Apprenticeship commencing in September 2024, which he was delighted to accept.

Ruben said: “I’m particularly excited about the learning and development opportunities that lie ahead. I’ll be diving into a structured program that encompasses on-the-job learning, centralized learning sessions, and the pursuit of professional qualifications – all with full support from Aon.”

Ben Orcese, Careers and Higher Education Advisor at CANDI, said: “Moving onto any kind of apprenticeship post A Level or BTEC is incredibly challenging for any student. With Ruben, it is clear that motivation, hard work, resilience and dedication really does pay off if you are serious about making a professional non-higher education destination.”

Ruben’s success demonstrates the importance of career education and career enrichment for students. At Capital City College Group (CCCG) we offer extensive Career Support and Work Experience to all of our students, whether they are about to embark upon a new career or career path, or need support in their current role.

Congratulations to Ruben on your apprenticeship with Aon!

We offer one of the largest ranges of Apprenticeship Training across London, allowing students to gain valuable skills and earn while they learn. If you’re interested in doing an apprenticeship, take a look at our excellent range of Apprenticeship Courses.

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