Helping NatWest Group build their talent pipeline with apprenticeships
Developing the skills, capability and knowledge of entry-level and experienced employees
How do apprenticeships help your talent?
Apprenticeships offer the opportunity for new and existing employees to develop their skills, capability and knowledge, building a successful career with NatWest Group whilst gaining a professional qualification. Our apprenticeship programmes give new employees with no previous work experience an opportunity to continue their education, develop new skills and knowledge, start earning a salary and building a career. Existing employees can gain a professional qualification, put the learning into practice, develop their skills and capabilities, whilst staying in their existing role and getting ready for the next role.
What have been the positive effects of an apprenticeship programme?
We have an established apprenticeship programme and over the past five years have brought over 1500 new apprentices into our business. They have brought new ideas, a new perspective, innovative thinking and they challenge the way we do things. They have helped us build young talent pipelines in a wide range of roles across the organisation, ready to support our customers now and in the future.
How has NatWest Group managed new ways of working for apprentices?
We have committed to still recruit and bring apprentices into NatWest Group through 2020 to support our purpose to “champion potential helping people, families and communities”. We have moved all our apprenticeship programmes online, including interviews and inductions being delivered through Zoom. This has taken some tremendous work by our HR teams and working with our training providers to make this possible. Everything from applications, online assessment and interviews, through to induction and enrolment onto their apprenticeship programme were all completed without apprentices leaving their home. We have always tried to maintain a positive apprentice experience, supporting their wellbeing and managing the impact of working from home.
Apprentices have helped us create a more diverse workforce across the bank and better represent the diversity of our customers, meeting our customer needs now and in the future. We are proud of our work with Leadership Through Sport and Business, who support us with our social mobility apprenticeship programme, which offer apprenticeship opportunities to young people from less advantaged backgrounds across some of the most deprived areas of the UK.
Mike White, Apprenticeship Manager, NatWest Group
