Software Engineer Review

Item: Software Engineer at Lloyds Banking Group
Rating: 3.9
Author: Anonymous

at Lloyds Banking Group

Higher Level Apprenticeship

Front-end Development, Software Engineering

Manchester

Review Submitted: February 2026

Overall Rating

3.9 /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 - Overview of Role

4/5 - Skills Development

3.6/5 - Structure and Support

Overview of Role

Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:

5/5

I'm involved in development of software using a variety of different programming languages. I work alongside my team, sharing suggestions and assistance with one another to design, develop and test software. I spent most of my time either in meetings or in development, but during my apprenticeship I would also dedicate 1 day a week to learning new skills and attending the lessons provided externally to apprentices.

To what extent do you enjoy your programme?

4/5

I've really enjoyed getting into the processes of developing software, and it's satisfying to know that my work has a real impact on the bank. I don't have any complaints about Lloyds, though I think my training provider could have been more hands on with my learning as I often felt lost on what to focus on, and the programme didn't always align with work at the bank.

Skills Development

Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?

4/5

I've developed my communication skills in interacting with each of my team members producively, and developed new programatical skills such as new languages, and unit testing practices. I've also been able to develop my confidence with encourages me to take risks and try new things.

Structure and Support

How well organised/structured is your programme?

3/5

The first few months of the programme had my training provider, Firebrand, very hands on with my learning, with 5 day a week seminars explaining the fundamentals of programming and a 1 week in person event at the end that served as a test and team building excersise. After that though, Firebrand only held sessions for 2 hours each week, and after that left me to my lonesome. I would have liked more structure.

How much support do you receive from your employer?

5/5

My line manager is rather involved in my growth journey. He consistently gets in contact with me to ask me if I need help or push me in the right direction if I get something wrong. Additionally, Lloyds itself was very accepting of my apprenticeship status and I didn't feel held back by the bank to work on my apprenticeship.

How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?

4/5

I had a learning mentor who was rather active in keeping up with my progress and making sure I was completing the apprenticeship tasks at a good pace. She checked my work thoroughly and gave me mock reviews when I asked her. I felt like I could contact her when necessary, which very much helped

How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?

3/5

I felt like Firebrand touched the basics of the things I needed to know at Lloyds, but there was a clear disconnect between them, and a lot of my ciriculum time was spent on lessons that were somewhat parallel to the skills I needed. For example, I code predominantly in frontend languages, but the bulk of my learning was using more service based languages like Java.

Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)

3/5

There are occasionally social events held for celebrations, either in office or nearby the office, which I have attended more of over time. They're rather enjoyable!

Recommendations & Advice

Would you recommend Lloyds Banking Group to a friend?

Yes

Why?

I felt accomodated by Lloyds. They were patient with me learning all the ins and outs of the company and my role in it. It kept me from feeling intimidated by the many people who were a lot more experienced than me, which I think is really important.