Rating
- 1. Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:
- 2. Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
- 3. To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
- 4. How valued do you feel by NatWest?
- 5. How well organised/structured is your programme?
- 6a. How much support do you receive from your training provider?
- 6b. How much support do you receive from your employer?
- 7. How well does your salary/package meet your costs?
- 8. Are there many opportunities outside of work?
- 9. Would you recommend NatWest to a friend?
- 9b. Why?
- 10. What tips or advice would you give to others applying to NatWest?
Responding to customer requests, visiting customers on meetings, creating briefs for customer meetings, following up on customer requests. No day is the same but I will normally start my day opening my inbox and going through any emails I have. I am an assistant for a manager I was assigned, so I am the first point of contact for the portfolio of commercial clients my manager has. This means that any queries these clients have or if they require a certain product, I will be the person to provide them with guidance and push through applications for these products.
I have learnt a lot in terms of how banks operate and what banks offer. I have also developed confidence as I have been given opportunities to attend different networking events and meet new people. Since I was given a lot of responsibility quite early on, my independence and knowledge in the industry has grown significantly. Regularly constructing emails and contacting customers has meant that my communication skills have also improved.
I really enjoy my programme. I am provided with a lot of support from different sources. There is a strong commitment from the bank and from the people already working in the bank for apprentices to progress their careers in the bank and work their way up to more senior positions.
I feel very valued by RBS. Everyone I have met within the bank has been very willing to help and provide me with opportunities to develop. It is clear that the bank and the people working here want apprentices to progress a career here.
My programme is very well-structured. I am given two afternoons a week to go home and study for my Professional Banker Certificate. Also, I am invited to attend regular meetings with my line manager, Director and skills coach/assessor from BPP to summarise how I am finding things.
BPP provide a lot of support through providing lots of different resources from the get-go. There are online classes fortnightly, all of which are recorded to refer back to. There is also a textbook for the exam, as well as online copies, questions, pre-recorded lectures, and mock exams.
RBS also provide a lot of support. My line manager and Director provide me with 2 afternoons a week to go home and study for my exam and make it very clear to me that if I feel under-prepared closer to the exam, they will extend the amount of time I can be provided with to study.
The salary package is excellent. Since my office is just outside of London, I am able to drive 5 miles down the road as opposed to getting the train, which means that my costs for getting to work are not significant at all.
There are always events going on within RBS. There are many different societies which you are able to join, which regularly invite you to attend different events and participate in different things. There are also always a lot of volunteering opportunities available in the company.
Yes
The amount of support you are provided with is fantastic and everyone in the company has a strong willingness to push apprentices to go far within the bank. Progression opportunities are brilliant.
Do your research. Understand the core values of RBS and what you're applying for. And make sure that a career in banking is what you want.
Details
Level 3 Apprenticeship
Finance
Central London & City
March 2017