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Press Release

Twelve new jobs in IT

Peterborough firm in recruitment drive for trainee IT developers

Immediate release: 18 January 2010

As part of its continuing expansion, the Peterborough-based BGL Group, a major employer in the region, is recruiting for a number of trainee IT developers to go through its IT Academy.

There are 12 new opportunities – the first six trainees will be enrolled onto the new knowledge management system - SharePoint - which launches in March 2010; with a further six trainees being sought for the third cohorte for the IBM iSeries learning programme which starts in April. This training focuses on RPG, one of the programming languages employed by BGL to support the development of IT solutions to meet business requirements.

BGL Group is one of the UK's largest personal lines insurance intermediaries and affinity insurance providers enabling high street names such as HSBC, Post Office®, M&S, Auto Trader and RAC to offer their own insurance products. It already employs 360 people in IT, and is continuing to invest in the sector.

The Academy was set up last March to provide tailor-made coaching for recruits keen to develop a career in IT. The six-month programmes incorporate formal training with on-the-job practical experience, mentoring and team rotations.

The new SharePoint programme will be for those with some previous experience of web structure and design, who are keen to learn Microsoft Office SharePoint, a form of web-hosting software which is used within the BGL Group as a platform for the intranet and other exciting developments in the business.

Within the RPG programme, previous IT experience is not necessarily required, however successful trainees will have an aptitude for logical thinking and a real demonstrable desire to work towards a career in IT.

Sue Platt, Senior Manager for IT Applications Management, said: "We are continuing to invest in our people and technology to support the growing demands of the business. The IT Academy is a unique opportunity for people with a passion for a career in IT who are either just starting out or are looking for a completely new career path. BGL Group offers huge potential for people to get the right training to progress up the career ladder. We are confident that we have the right tools and environment to turn our trainees into highly skilled developers.

Case Study

Employee Jo Metselaar (25) was one of the first trainees in the Academy and has already been promoted to Junior Analyst Programmer. She said: "I'm really enjoying my role. When you step back and remember day one in the Academy, it really is amazing to see how much we've learned and how far we've come in such a short period. It feels like I've got lots more career potential in the BGL Group. It's opened up some great opportunities."

To find out more about the Academy opportunities check out our website: www.bglgroup.co.uk .Applications can be made online until January 31, 2010.