Lysis has partnered with the Damilola Taylor Trust (DTT) since 2016 to provide the Career Pathway Programme, enabling inner city youths from disadvantaged backgrounds with experience and insight into the financial services industry.

Here at Lysis we are keen to improve social mobility within the workplace and feel that diversity should be encouraged; not just to improve corporate performance but enable anyone from any background the chance to pursue their career of choice. Our most recent DTT member to join the team here at Lysis, is Alvin Owusu, who is currently undertaking his KYC/AML internship. As part of his internship, his day to day responsibilities include completing remediation, screening and onboarding of customers for one of our principal clients. When asked what he had gained from his internship, Alvin said: ‘During my time at Lysis, I have been able to develop core skills that are applicable across all elements of my life e.g. punctuality, professional conduct and building professional relationships. I was also assigned a mentor who helps set out and fulfil my professional objectives, which not only encourages me to manage my learning capability but maximise my future employability potential’.

Tom Griffiths, Associate Director at Lysis, heads the DTT charitable partnership from a Lysis perspective and said “the 2018 career pathway programme is building on the success of previous years. All our interns have quickly become part of our team and have demonstrated value, ambition and professionalism which we hope to harness in the future.” The Damilola Taylor Trust was established in May 2001 in memory of Damilola Taylor who was tragically killed in 2000 by an act of violence. His father, Richard Taylor, (founder of the Trust) hopes that the programme will provide young people from disadvantaged backgrounds the access to paid internships, (such as at here at Lysis) within the Financial Services sector that they might not normally consider. ‘The DTT programme aims to restore the hope, optimism and self-esteem of youths aged 14-25 in South London so that they can: lead healthy lives; stay in school; grow up to become independent productive adults; and have lofty aspirations and work to attain their innate potential’[1].

In support of the Damilola Taylor Trust, Lysis does not only offer specialised internships but also holds workshops focusing on providing real world, and in-depth knowledge on life working within the City of London. The key focus areas of the workshops are: CV building; Time management; Interview techniques; and Internship applications Alvin himself attended one of these insight days in May, where he was given the opportunity to engage with current Lysis employees and hear about their current career paths. When asked what his most memorable talk was that day he said, ‘After hearing Shola Arowosekila speak on her unconventional post-graduate journey, from Intern to Trainee Consultant, (and now Junior Consultant), combined with her passion for anti-financial crime, I knew that I had to secure this internship’. For further programme enquiries please contact Tom Griffiths at: Tom.griffiths@lysisfinancial.com or visit http://www.damilolataylortrust.co.uk/all-project-list/current-the-career-pathway-programme [1] http://www.damilolataylortrust.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/PRESS-RELEASE-Lysis-offers-Internships-and-Work-Experience-via-the-Damilola-Taylor-Trust-July-17.pdf