COO Change Apprentice Review

I work within the change sector of the Corporate Banking division in a department called COO Change. The purpose of COO Change (Chief Opera rating Office) is to co-ordinate and manage the delivery of change activity that spans the Corporate Banking Division and the overall investment prioritisation process ad making it easier for front-line businesses to do business in support of the Division's strategic objectives. I am currently working in the Business Operating Model Team that creates processes for the Anti Money Laundering Project. My day to day tasks includes dialling into any project related calls, writing up any minutes from the meetings, writing up a weekly progress report for my team and making any relevant changes to the different Business Operating Models we currently have. I also engage with stakeholders from the different divisions and business areas within the Group, for example setting up meetings in their dairies to walk through Business Operating Model’s. These are just a few examples of what I do on a day to day basis and I am enjoying my first few months as an RBS Apprentice.

I have developed existing skills and learnt new skills within my first months of working with RBS. Using Microsoft Office Software on a day to day basis has enabled me to become even more familiar with it. I have also learnt how to use a new software call Microsoft Visio which has enabled me to write up Business Operating Models. Listening on project calls and attending induction days has furthered my knowledge of banking and how it works. I am looking forward to what the future has in store for me and what new skills I can develop.

So far I am enjoying working for RBS, coming straight from college to working in a bank was quite daunting for me however the people I work with have enabled me to settle in very well. The office is genuinely a nice place to work and the people that work here are friendly too. The workload wasn’t too heavy at first and was quite inconsistent, for example I could have loads to do one day and not so much to do the next. However this has changed significantly now as I have been given more responsibility within my team. So overall yes I am enjoying my programme and I can see myself working with RBS for a long time.

Yes I do feel valued for the work I complete as I receive honest feedback from the people I complete the work for. The feedback I receive enables me to understand what I can do to improve for future tasks. My line manager and assignment manager also make me feel valued as they recognise the work I complete and praise me for it.

The Apprenticeship Programme involves me doing work for RBS and for a training company called BPP. The work I complete for BPP will contribute towards my final qualification in Professional Banking Administration and Continuous Improvement. The way in which I will gain this qualification is by completing the different work book modules set to me on a weekly basis. BPP gave an induction in the first week of work which made me familiar with what RBS expect from me and the standard competencies involved. Overall I think the structure is ok however I think their needs to be some structure around the deadlines and how often our BPP Assessor visits us.

As a stated in my previous comment I believe the structure around how often our BPP Assessor is not the best, every 8-10 weeks is too long in my eyes. Also as we don’t have access to external emails so its hard to get in contact with our assessor during working hours. Apart from that I believe the support I get when we have a 1 on 1 is very good and we receive good feedback.

I receive plenty of support from my employer to complete my BPP Apprenticeship Modules, for example I have a line manager and ‘buddy’ who are always happy to help me. I also have fortnightly 1 to 1’s with my line manager to discuss any issues I currently have.

The salary I currently receive is more than enough in terms of meeting the costs I currently have to pay. For example it enables me to pay for travel to and from work, rent to parents and any other needs I have.

The Apprenticeship Programme has given me an insight of how many different opportunities there are within the bank. Gaining this qualification and work experience will enable me to work within different divisions or departments within the bank if I wanted too.

Yes

I would recommend the RBS Group to one of my friends as they have gave me the opportunity to progress my career further. The Apprenticeship Programme focuses on the next generation of bankers and I’m glad to be part of it. It’s a great opportunity for all of us apprentices to be involved in because you can gain a qualification at the same time as gaining valuable work experience for the future.

Applying for this role was quite a long process, for example we had to complete an application form, online test, phone interview and a face to face interview. So the advice I would give to you would be stand out in all applications letting them know that you are passionate about working for RBS and most importantly to be yourself.