Donray Rae, our first ever 20-20 Trustees apprentice, reflects on his time with the company to date.
My first year in pensions has been challenging, educational, and life changing. Finishing Sixth Form and starting my first professional job three weeks later will always be something I’m extremely proud of (as well as Chelsea winning the Champions League the same year).
Change is always difficult at first, especially when coming out of your comfort zone, but joining 20-20 Trustees and deciding to work in the pension industry has allowed me to develop both personally and professionally.
When I joined 20-20 Trustees, I had no idea what to expect. At the time, I didn’t know anything about pensions, let alone what a trustee is or does. Fast forward a year and I feel comfortable and confident explaining what my company does, how we are different, and why you should work with us.
A sense of belonging
Since joining the pension industry, I’ve felt a sense of belonging, and this is all because of the wonderful support I have had not just from my 20-20 Trustees colleagues, but from many others in the industry. I would especially like to thank Lynda Whitney at Aon, who helped me ease into this role by offering me an ‘introduction to the pension industry call’ a week after I joined 20–20. This call was helpful and informative. Lynda has an amazing career in pensions, and I’m glad she allowed me to listen and ask questions.
Naomi L’Estrange and the team at 20-20 Trustees have done nothing but support me every step of the way, I’m honoured to work for this company and can’t wait to demonstrate just how great this company really is. Dana Day has played a vital role in my development in the last year. She’s been the greatest mentor I could have asked for and an even better role model.
Apprenticeships offer a great alternative to University
I still believe that apprenticeships are a superb alternative to university, especially if you’re not sure about what you want to study or be in the future. Working and learning at the same time has shown me how varied the pensions industry is, and I will have numerous different pathways and opportunities available after my course.
One of my highlights in the past year was meeting and forming a robust relationship with the iconic Lord Michael Hastings through the help of Shay Owode. My apprenticeship has allowed me to meet people from different walks of life that I would have never had the chance to meet if I hadn’t done an apprenticeship – from those already mentioned, to my fellow apprentices and tutors at JGA.
The pension sector offers career choice
I still think the pension industry is undervalued by the younger generation. Marketing the sector to young people as well as to more diverse groups of the population will challenge and transform pensions for the better. As an industry, we have to ask ourselves how we can promote not just the importance of pensions to future generations but also how we can provide more accessible opportunities as well.
The past six months at 20-20 have seen me take on more responsibility and help my team in ways I wouldn’t have had the knowledge or ability to do in my earlier days. My growth is a reflection of the great, diverse team I have here at 20-20 and how they’ve helped me progress in my career so far.
Ever since I made the decision to join this incredible industry, I’ve done nothing but learn and grow each and every day. I would just like to say thank you to everyone who’s welcomed me into this industry, and I can’t wait to work with and meet so many more fellow pension professionals in the coming year.
I’m honoured to be nominated for the Professional Pensions Rising Star Awards 2022, but the job isn’t done, and the hard work begins now.
With over 40 years-experience in trusteeship, 20-20 Trustees is an award-winning professional independent trustee organisation, committed to making a difference in the world of pensions. If you’re looking to get into the industry, then we’d love to hear from you. Get in touch today!