Learning & development
Related information
For further information on the capabilities we assess read our graduate capabilities.
Related information
The Staff Handbook provides a guide to our 'people' policies.
As an FSA graduate you will follow a structured programme providing you with a wide range of opportunities to develop your career. Find out more below.
Induction
We understand that the transition from university to working life can be daunting. To help you settle, your first 4 weeks will be spent with your peers, getting to grips with the products, markets and services within the financial services industry, the business of regulation, and of course the GDP itself.
Support network
Before you even start you will begin to build relationships within the FSA.
Buddy.
As well as your peers on the GDP, you will be given a buddy (a graduate from a previous intake) who will contact you prior to joining to answer any queries you have and help you settle in.
Mentor.
This will be a senior member of staff from a different business unit. They will act as a sounding board for you for day-to-day issues and help you focus your career development.
Graduate Development Team.
They will be your main contact on all issues related to the GDP, co-ordinating your training, job moves, reward and performance management.
Line Manager.
This will be the person to whom you report. They will set your objectives for the year and evaluate your delivery against them.
Rotations
You will be placed in 3 different areas of the business during the GDP, gaining exposure to the main strands of FSA work, e.g. authorisation and supervision of firms, enforcement, policy, consumer agenda and so on.
Secondments
In the final 6 months of the GDP, you will be seconded to an external organisation in order to raise your commercial awareness and allow you to see regulation “in practice”.
The type of organisation you go to depends on your third and final placement area, but could be a retail bank, investment bank, insurance firm, government organisation, etc.
Continuous learning & development
First and foremost, it is your responsibility to manage your own career. We provide the framework to help you develop the technical capability and knowledge necessary to succeed.
Training Modules
Through a series of training modules specifically designed for graduates on the programme, on-the-job training, e-learning, and other courses offered internally, you will be able to continually increase your level of knowledge of the industry and regulation.
Professional Qualifications
During the GDP you will be encouraged to undertake a professional qualification. Graduates in the past have completed the Investment Management Certificate, Securities Institute Certificates and Diploma, Financial Planning Certificates, to name but a few.