Digital Technology & Solutions Review
at Santander
Degree Apprenticeship
Finance
Milton Keynes
Review Submitted: July 2020
Overall Rating
4.6 /5
The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!
4.5/5
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Overview of Role
4/5
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Skills Development
4.4/5
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Structure and Support
Overview of Role
Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:
4/5
Our 4 year programme consists of 6 month rotations so we can experience different positions within the bank. I am on my 4th rotation and currently working within data governance. Day to day my tasks include looking at data sets within my companies systems and checking whether they are in line with our data management policy in terms of it's quality, storage, transformation etc
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
5/5
I really like the programme. It provides me with the opportunity to experiance loads of different areas within the bank. This will give me a really good round understanding of the bank when I finish my course in 2022. I meet loads of new people and make lots of connections during my time in the different placements - which all come in handy later down the line!
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
4/5
I have learnt a lot about the systems within my company. My technical knowledge has improved as it is a role which is very technical based. In terms of skills I have developed my SQL skills. Part of my role requires querying databases to find fields and run quality controls on them. I had basic skills before but have developed them further.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
4/5
We have a set team of people who look after all graduates and apprentices within our company. They are in charge of organising any external trips or experiences for us. They are very well organised and make sure that we have all of the information that we need to complete our uni work/placements. They also offer lots of extra activities which we can get involved with if we want to.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
5/5
We all have a lot of support throughout the company. Each apprentice has a line manger who is responisble for their placement work, these change with every rotation but all are very helpful and experienced with having apprentices. We have a apprenticemanager who is constant throughout our 4 year programme and give us any support that we need. Lastly the dedicated team are there for any worries we might have.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
5/5
Our training provider is a well established University. Nottingham Trent have a support network available to us for any work or non-work related troubles we may have. This team is available to us all year round even though we are only on campus for a total of 6 weeks across the year. We can access the team at any point & they can point us in the right direction if they are unable to help.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
4/5
A lot of what we cover in our module work comes up in our day to day roles in the bank. Some of the modules like techniques include a lot of soft skills like working collaboratively within a team which will contribute to any project work we are involved with. More technical modules like software implementation improbe my coding knowledge in different languages which help in roles where I have had to build queries.
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
4/5
Yes. Santander have a wide range of opportunities. It is compulsory for us to complete some volunteering throughout the year. As well as this, Santander hold events for team competitons. The most recent one being a mixed 5 aside football tournamnet across UK and Spanish Santander teams with the winners getting tickets to the Champions League final- which they are the sponsor for.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend Santander to a friend?
Yes
Why?
Santander offer the chance to gain a qualification as well as work in a global financial institution for a 4 year period. This experience is key to starting our careers as it differs us from anyone else. As well as this Santander is a company which really values their employees and the well being of their staff. If you want to be part of a company that do everything for their customers - santander is perfect.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to Santander?
Be very open minded about what you want to experience within Santander. There will be opportunities which you will face which you might be unsure about but try everything as you will learn something everywhere you go. Something which might not seem your thing could turn out to be your future career. Make sure you give an equal amount of effort to your studies as well as your work output.
