Advertiser Submission

Leaders In Community, a youth led charity in Tower Hamlets has had an extradentary year with our flagship leadership programme, ‘Be.Leaders’, for 16 – 19-year-olds. Despite all the constraints and complications of lockdowns, we have been able to offer ten young people work experience placements at BNP Paribas Asset Management.

The placements have been instrumental in young people’s increase in confidence and self-esteem. They were able to spend a week at the company’s building and gain valuable exposure to the corporate world.  Programmes like ours offer a head start, particularly for young people that are Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET), who would otherwise may not have access to the networks and opportunities these placements bring.

We’d like to share some words from one of our young leaders, Hamza Hussein, who attended the placement:

“On the 26th of July 2021, I started my first day of a two-week internship at BNP Paribas Asset Management at their London Headquarters. I was placed in the Investments division focusing on the trade of European Equities.

Day to day I worked on a project to research the economics of green hydrogen as an investment case. In simple terms this meant collecting data about the market for green hydrogen as a commodity and the growth potential of the product in the future and pitching an investment case. Which was positively challenging and tested my knowledge.

Some notable experiences included sitting in on an investment meeting, being taught by my supervisor and attempting to carry an overfilled mug to my desk without getting coffee everywhere. One of the best parts was lunch! Eating at some of the nicest spots in the city or on the steps of St Paul’s Cathedral was amazing.

My experience was highly educational, enjoyable and I’m extremely grateful to be given the opportunity. A huge thank you to Leaders in Community and everyone I worked with at BNP Paribas” – Hamza Hussain, 16 years old.