Digital Technology and Solutions Degree Apprentice Review

I am an apprentice on the data stream and therefore have chosen to go for placements that focus around data management and data analytics. I currently work in a team that is customer focused and have had opportunities like analysing customer complaints data. I also attend multiple meetings that touch on different areas of the bank so I am constantly learning new things from different areas.

I have developed skills I learned in school and internships like team work, effective communication and more self belief. I have also learned new technical skills through software like SPSS, SAS, JIRA, Teams, Confluence, Visual Studio and programming languages such as C++ and Python. I am still actively trying to improve all these skills to become even more skilled.

I enjoy my programme thoroughly, I know it was the right decision for me. I enjoy the work and education balance and the support I receive from both Santander and Nottingham Trent Uni. I have also met some fantastic programme through work and continue to network to find more opportunities.

I believe my programme is structured well. Having two years above me is helpful as I am able to seek knowledge from people that are similar ages and pick up useful tips on how to navigate my own career. I can also share this with the year below me. Ultimately our programme is structured well and organised thoroughly by our emerging talent who we all know very well.

I receive a massive amount of support from Santander. Our emerging talent team [This section of the comment has been removed by a member of the RateMyApprenticeship Team because it did not meet our site terms and conditions] are extremely approachable and always willing to make time to discuss any worries I have. They have also listened to feedback and always implemented new ways of doing things to constantly improve our experience.

Our training provider is new to us so we are yet to experience the full package. So far they have provided a high level of service although the jump between providers was not fully understood which lead to some struggles with the level of knowledge we were expected to demonstrate.

It teaches me programming languages that are useful in work. It also gives us time as a cohort to network and spend time together. It also separates work and education which allows me to focus on each element more closely. I think having deadlines for coursework helps me to understand how to manage my work life further.

There is funding for teams and activities although they aren’t advertised, you have to actively seek teams and attempt to get involved. However we do have a lot of charity involvement which can lead to activities for fundraising. This can be anything from bake sales to sporting events like football tournaments.

Yes

Because I believe Santander provides an excellent degree apprenticeship. I have the balance of work, social and education. I will ultimately get further in my career quicker than a lot of my friends due to working and studying at the same time. I also think Santander as a company has many good policies from pay to holiday so I enjoy my work a lot.

To be well prepared for the amount of work that it takes to study and work at the same time. As well as to make sure you’re super friendly as that will help you in the social side as well as when you rotate between teams around the business