They were driven through a side gate into the inner sanctum
where a man stepped out to greet them and wave them past security like visiting
dignitaries. “Hello, welcome to Goldman Sachs,” he said, ushering the young
Londoners into the lift and whisking them to the tenth-floor boardroom with
panoramic views of the city. The group of 10, all jobless youngsters aged 17 to
21, took out their mobile phones and began taking photos. “Anybody scared of
heights?” asked one. “That’s where the Queen lives, what a view!” said another.
Among them was Sana Babar, 19, and Jubbed Ahmed, 20, whose stories of applying
for thousands of jobs kicked off our investigation into youth unemployment.
Minutes later, just before 9am, Goldman’s co-chief executive
Michael Sherwood swept into the room, no tie. “So which of you want to work
here?” he asked, shaking their hands. Just 48 hours ago, putting such a
proposal to 10 potential recruits, some of whom do not even have A-levels,
would have been bizarre, even laughable. But the Standard’s Ladder for London
campaign has turned conventional wisdom on its head. Because today Goldman
Sachs, the investment bank that prides itself on employing only the brightest
graduates, has agreed to take 10 paid apprentices. And in so doing, they are
giving the chance of a lifetime to these potential recruits and to others who
will be put forward by our campaign partner City Gateway.
The apprentices will be placed in different parts of the
bank, including IT, human resources, corporate services, catering and
hospitality.
Michelle Pinggera, European chief of staff, said the bank
had thought carefully about how to integrate the new recruits. “We want them to
feel like a cohort. We will bring them together from their various departments
for group in-house training, and in addition each one will have a mentor.
“There is great enthusiasm inside the firm to do this, not
least because we know City Gateway.
Three years ago, Eddie Stride [City
Gateway’s CEO] came to us with a proposal to help fund a new employee training
centre. We were so impressed with their results and the impact City Gateway was
having that we told him to go away and come back with a more ambitious plan
which he did. We ended up donating £240,000 for the development of the new centre.”
Over the years Goldman Sachs has sent its employees out into
the community to help, but this is the first time in the bank’s history that
they have taken in apprentices, and the youngsters gathered around the
boardroom table are bursting with questions.
What has been the secret to your success Mr Sherwood?” asked
21-year-old Avyonn Cross. “I joined the bank 27 years ago straight out of
university,” replied Mr Sherwood. “Back then, we were a tiny firm and a few of
us would sit around a table, a group of young people not that different from
you but fortunate to be in the right place at the right time. I never had a
game plan, but it was exciting and we worked crazy hours and if you work hard
here, you can do well.” He added: “All these grey hairs, I earned every single
one.”
What was his first job? A Saturday shift at Sainsbury’s and
a paper boy, he said. At college he did an apprenticeship, he added, or rather
an unpaid internship, at SG Warburg where he was chief photocopier. “Does that
resonate with you?”
They laughed, relaxed, and pressed him for details of the
in-house gym. Mr Sherwood’s parting words were encouraging: “I hope you will
take advantage of the opportunity here, and that some of you end up working
here with permanent jobs.”
The morning was not without its hiccups. Ishmael Chand, 18,
arrived 30 minutes late, hair gelled and spiked, apologising profusely and
blaming his faulty alarm clock, but still in time for the tour of the trading
floor. “Next time set two alarm clocks,” said Ms Pinggera.
Ishmael explained that he had left school with four AS
levels and nine GCSEs, including three starred As and 5 As, but had decided not
to go to university because fees have tripled. “I have always wanted to work in
the City,” he said. “When Eddie told me that Goldman Sachs were taking 10
apprentices, I was like WHAAAAT? The fact that I am here at Goldman Sachs is
like a dream come true.”
Lee Morris, 20, was so scared he would be late that he had
got up at 5.30am. “This is one appointment I did not want to miss.”
For Sana Babar, who has applied, as we reported, for 3,000
jobs without success, this is the break she has been dreaming of. “I am
particularly drawn to an apprenticeship in their HR department,” she said.
“This is a great opportunity for me. My three-year search for a job could soon
be over.”
Source, 26th September 2012, London Evening
Standard, David Cohen
No comments:
Post a Comment