Raising aspirations with Liberum Capital
News article from November 17, 2015
“When I’m 18 I’m coming back here” – A morning spent raising aspirations at Liberum Capital
On a rainy morning in mid-October, a group of year 6 pupils from Hungerford Primary School and their parents were invited by Liberum Capital to learn about working there and different routes into employment. The group arrived full of enthusiasm and energy – one of the children said that they had been excited about this trip for weeks.
The visit started with an introduction to investment banking, with lots of helpful analogies. It was also very clear that there are lots of people working as a team to make Liberum successful – from HR to analysts, receptionists to traders. The group were inspired to hear that Liberum had started out with four people in a very small room with a vision – and that hard work had led them to the beautiful offices they were visiting.
After a biscuit break, the group heard personal stories of two employees who spoke about their journey from school to work. They then toured the offices and were thrilled to test out the trader chairs and phones. The pupils from Hungerford were full of questions throughout – they wanted to know about every aspect of Liberum. Their parents also found this a helpful experience – one parent explained that they had been wary at first because they thought it would be intimidating but were glad they had joined the trip as they had learnt lots and had a fantastic time.
The pupils said:
“I didn’t know all these jobs existed’
“I want to say that today was a really nice day and I have enjoyed it and we learnt interesting stuff”
“it’s amazing what they do – I want to work here”
“They have a bee hotel and I loved the view!”
The parents said:
“It was really eye-opening”
“You wouldn’t have believed how environmentally friendly the building is – very interesting learning about the water being reproduced”
“Thanks to Liberum for being so welcoming to us”
Aspiration sessions are designed to break down the barriers around working in the City for those from the most socially deprived backgrounds. They are part of a programme of support that Bea, the SHS practitioner at Hungerford, offers to disadvantaged families, helping them address complex issues that are preventing children from getting to school and making the most of their potential. We are grateful to the Liberum Foundation for supporting Bea’s work.