Essential banker Review

My role is an essential banker and includes helping customers with their daily banking needs and assisting them with any queries they have. Interactions include those with customers and colleagues alike. Ensuring that customers are making the most of their banking relationship with Barclays is important in my role.

I have completed many internal training courses online which have enabled me to develop knowledge and understanding on policies and procedures and regulations within the organisation.

The programme is a lot different to what I expected. The work aspect in terms of delivering customer service is what i anticipated as that is the role that I was heading for however the support in terms of completing the apprenticeship work inside of working hours has not been accommodated, resulting in many overdue units of the course.

I feel valued to an extent at Barclays. Though I have no doubt that the extra pair of hands is always welcome to help staffing levels, I feel that management recognition is very sparse - though colleagues always appreciate the team effort.

Not at all. Since starting the course, I have been on two compulsory training courses. I assume that this has something to do with the fact that the courses are within working hours, making me unable to provide my services in branch. Apprenticeship work cannot be completed within working hours and you are expected to do it all in your spare time which is very little, despite an apprenticeship being an on-the-job training course.

I receive a lot of support from my training provider She has been of great help all throughout my apprenticeship so far. Any problems that I have faced, she has made an effort to help me solve them as well as offering me extra support if I am ever struggling with the work.

Hardly any at all. Apart from the resources that I can access myself as a result of being an employee, management are of no help in completing any work that I have. They make a fuss if you ask for any extra time to do work and insist that they do not need to give you any time within work, even though they do.

The most positive part of the apprenticeship is the salary. Having started an apprenticeship previously, which was minimum wage, the full salary offered to Barclays apprentices is very generous and always welcomed.

There quite possibly are but as someone who is not fully interested in staying within the organisation for an extended period of time, I do not seek any. A colleague of mine, however, has managed to obtain shadowing positions in Canary Wharf.

Yes

I would only recommend Barclays to a friend based on the financial gain. I would also only recommend it if they were sure that this was the route that they wanted to go down.

Be sure that you are prepared for the work that is attached to the qualification. You have to be really interested in the qualification to enjoy completing this apprenticeship.