Working in an office, wearing a suit and having a head for numbers might be the first things that spring to mind when you think about a career in banking.
This is just one of the many myths about the industry that need to be dispelled.
Some people still believe that banking is an exclusive industry that recruits from a narrow pool of people. But the reality could not be more different.
The industry is very diverse. People from all sorts of backgrounds and experiences are successful in banking.
Importantly, banks are working hard to ensure people right across the country have access to the wide-ranging and exciting careers on offer.
Banks have apprenticeships covering not only traditional customer-facing roles in retail banking, but also in human resources, operations, marketing and IT – to name just a few. There are a huge range of opportunities.
Apprenticeships can give young people a “foot-in-the-door” and help them launch a high flying career in banking.
They are paid roles with on-the-job training that can also provide the opportunity to study towards a related qualification. These programmes provide an array of high-quality experiences and transferable skills that are essential in both banking and business more generally.
The banking industry has created many thousands of apprenticeship opportunities over the years and is committed to creating more.
There are apprenticeships available in the largest investment banks, private banks that are over 100 years old, international banks and smaller, new challenger banks.
You may also be surprised to learn that 84 per cent of programmes are available outside of London, in cities like Bournemouth, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Manchester, Leicester and Sheffield. This means that, regardless of where you live, there will be a huge range of opportunities on your doorstep.
These opportunities are available to anyone aged 16 and over. For a number of the major banks, around half of their apprenticeships are in the 16-24 age group.
The banking sector is planning to expand significantly apprenticeship programmes over the next eighteen months.
There has never been a better time to be taking your first step on a career in banking.