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Student counts on career success after summer placement
25/08/2021
A University of Wolverhampton Accounting and Finance degree student is counting on career success after successfully completing a summer placement with the Richardsons (RCL Associates Ltd).
The Richardson family business was founded in the late 1940s by twin brothers Roy and Don Richardson and for the last two decades the business has been run by Roy’s three sons Martyn, Lee and Carl, expanding into international real estate and private equity alongside their UK investments.
Lee Flavell, 21 from Dudley, has just completed his Accounting and Finance degree in the University of Wolverhampton Business School and was one of a second cohort of interns to complete a week-long summer placement with RCL Associates Ltd, the retained advisors to the Richardson family, as part of an annual programme designed to offer career development opportunities to students over the summer.
Lee worked on projects looking at the investment landscape in South-East Asia and emerging consumer trends amongst ‘Generation Z’ alongside the RCL investment team. At the end of the week they then presented their findings to the senior management team as part of an investment review session.
Lee said: “The University's great careers team put me forward for this internship with Richardson and I was accepted to complete a week with their investment team, RCL partners. I was tasked with completing a report on emerging trends from the younger generation and assessing if potential investment lay in these areas, such as gaming or vegan products. I also was asked to present these findings to senior members of the board in the form of a live presentation.
“I have learnt a lot more about investment in real life scenarios and how firms such as RCL partners make decisions or how they analyse a business. It was interesting to see how the length of the process and how in depth the research goes before decisions are made.
“The staff were friendly, knowledgeable and above all helpful, and made me feel part of the team in the week I was there. Overall this experience broadened my knowledge on finance and widened my CV, boosting my chances of securing a role in the finance sector.”
Paul Faulkner, Chief of Staff at RCL, said: “This year the interns really impressed the RCL team with their general application and the quality of the work they have produced on their set topics.
“While the primary aim of our summer internship programme is to provide real work experience opportunities for students who are thinking about a career in investment and to build links with the brilliant universities that we have across the West Midlands, it is also a chance for us to learn and pick up insights from the students that we might otherwise not have thought about.
“Our interns certainly provided some valuable information on a number of topics, emerging trends amongst Generation Z being a great example, and they should both feel very proud about all they have achieved in a short space of time.”
Michael Smith, Accounting and Finance course leader in the University Business School, said: "Putting the academic theory taught on our Accounting & Finance course into practice in a real-world business setting is such a valuable experience for our students.
“It significantly improves their employability and brings the subject to life for them. Our links with key business leaders and companies like the Richardson family are instrumental in us being able to offer these opportunities to our students.”
Professor Clare Schofield, Director of the Business School at the University of Wolverhampton said: “As the University of Opportunity, we are committed to creating fantastic opportunities for our students to increase their skills, knowledge and experience in order to enhance their career prospects. We would like to thank the Richardson family and RCL partners for their continued support of our Business School students through internships and by providing vital work experience opportunities.
“In an increasingly competitive jobs market, especially following the recent Covid-19 pandemic, internships really can help support students with sector knowledge and can be vital for them to develop a range of skills that will help them with their onward career journey.”
Anyone looking to study at the University of Wolverhampton should register for one of our forthcoming Open Days.
ENDS
For more information please contact the Corporate Communications Team.
