Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship in Leadership and Management Review

As part of my programme I move from various roles roughly around every 6 months, the roles I have done so far include. Cashier - involved working in the branch network on a till, dealing with large amounts of cash and dealing with customer queries. Personal Banker - dealing with appointments and more complex customer servicing including account opening, credit card, insurance, loans and various other financial products Operational banker - Running complience and audit activities across multiple branches ensuring we are operationally fit to run for business. After this role i will then progress on to be an assistant branch manager and then a branch manager alongside this i am completing a full time degree in leadership and management at lord ashcrofts international business school

Developed many interpersonal skills and empathy to those in difficult financial situations. Learning to lead others and develop others to be great at their jobs. Working under extreme pressure to deliver excellent service an dealing with customers in difficult situations

I do enjoy the freedom of getting to forge our own career paths and meet such a wide range of people from all over the bank at such a young age. However support from line management can sometimes cause frustrations to add to the stress of a full time job and degree

I feel very valued by Barclays for the oppurtunities they have given me on this programme however the day to day running of the programme can often make me feel under valued

Our programme lacks structure and can be seen in the inconsitency of peoples development in their roles. This largely boils down to a lack of communication from programme leadership. The degree aspect of the programme is very well organised and structured and always follows a clear guidance linked to our personal development on the programme

We go on 'study blocks' every couple of months for a week which is where we do our lectures. We all have personal tutors who link in with us every month to check on our progress and deal with any queries.

The support offered from our employer is minimal at best, email replies are often non existent or take a substancial amount of time. This can often lead to a self led approach which isnt always a bad thing but it can be frustrating when you do require the support of programme management and the support isn't there.

Salary is very good considering we are on an apprenticesip. However the salary once we become a manager is not the same as other full time collegues in them roles. The bonus situation is often very different as we get smaller bonuses and do not qualify for quaterly bonuses.

Barclays offer lifeskills events which allow us to build a profile of ourselves outside of work. These events are frequently run and are a great way to meet new people.

Yes

I would recommend Barclays to a friend as their programmes on the whole have given me the confidence and oppurtunities to kick start my career at such a young age as well as the oppurtuntity to get a degree relevant to the field I would like to go into.

I would recommend people are open about relocating to different areas of the country as oppurtunities vary depending on your location. Dont become so hung up on trying to progress through the roles too fast as it will ultimately determine how successful you are as a manager when you reach that point.