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 well organised/structured is your programme?
- 5. How much support do you receive from your employer?
- 6. How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
- 7. How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
- 8. Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
- 9a. Would you recommend NatWest to a friend?
- 9b. Why?
- 10. What tips or advice would you give to others applying to NatWest?
My role primarily consists of learning the main programming languages within the core of the bank. In doing so I will be able to create and write programs for the benefit of our customers and overall service. Daily I will attend meetings with my mentor to try and build on the logic we have already learned and try to implement what I have learned.
I have learnt a vast amount of new skills within the remit of computer science. I have also developed my ability to present in front of many people which has proved very valuable. Amongst other things I have also improved my interpersonal skills by meeting with many people and building my network.
I love my programme and my company as I feel they are extremely supportive and flexible with what I do. The progression within my role is exciting but also they allow for extra-curricular activities such as teaching coding to school children. Which I find extremely rewarding. Any new things you want to try or explore they are always open to assisting you to do so.
My programme has a very clear direction for me as I am on a path to becoming a software engineer. I have the best manager an apprentice could ask for and this has helped me massively with my personal development. We are given plenty of opportunities and my training is very well organised.
We receive multiple different methods of support from our employer. We get given buddies and mentors who provide 24/7 support if we need it. Also as I stated previously my manager is second to none when it comes to being there for me. Every support person mentioned is really driven and cares about us as individuals and our development which goes a long way.
BPP so far has been super supportive. We have attended multiple training days which are very well ran. The tutor we have for these days is amazing and really has a wide knowledge and understanding about what he is teaching. Any issues we have can be directly answered via him or another support team. I love it
Aspects of the training we have had isn't relevant to my day to day role. However it does give me a broad overview of technology as a whole and assists my understanding of what I like or dislike. Which is very valuable within my career progression and future goals.
We are very lucky that there are plenty of extra-curricular activities available. I have attended many things such as an apprentice convention, networking events, techstock and much more. Thankfully a lot of the events are held at our place of work making it even easier to attend. Outside of work I also attend a curry club and go rock climbing with colleagues of a much senior level.
Yes
They offer a great range of working opportunities to suit everyone and will support you every step of the way. It is a great company to work for and they are working hard to be at the forefront of the industry which is super exciting to be a part of.
I would just say to be yourself and don't be afraid to say yes to all the opportunities that will come your way. You won't realise how much you love or don't love something until you give it a go. Plus through every experience you have you will connect with more people within the company opening up many more options for you in the future.
Details
Higher Level Apprenticeship
Information Technology
Edinburgh
April 2019