CMB Degree Apprentice Review

Item: CMB Degree Apprentice at HSBC
Rating: 3.9
Author: Anonymous

at HSBC

Degree Apprenticeship

Banking, Commercial Banking

Birmingham

Review Submitted: April 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!

3.5/5 - Overview of Role

5/5 - Skills Development

3.8/5 - 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

In my current role, I am responsible for supporting 50,000 small businesses in the West Midlands. Reviewing their business, onboarding new businesses and providing lending to those customers. Whilst also developing HSBC's brand in the West Midlands at events. Day-to-day, I could be meeting customers looking to open accounts, cold-calling customers asking if they need support or being out in the region.

To what extent do you enjoy your programme?

3/5

I enjoy learning and being able to apply my studies to my work day-to-day. It is also great how HSBC allows us to rotate between 4 different roles through our programme. Though, apprentices are in a range of roles, some may not be as enjoyable as others, and some teams may not be so prepared for having an apprentice. Having an apprentice requires providing a lot of support and training, particularly in the first couple of years of the programme, in my experience, I have had almost no training so support has lacked, fostering a lot of stress.

Skills Development

Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?

5/5

I have learned an incredible amount of skills and feel proud looking back on where I was just 2 years ago. I have gained a lot of confidence and learned how to navigate the workplace.

Structure and Support

How well organised/structured is your programme?

3/5

The programme is generally well organised, we have 4 rotations, structured lectures and catch-ups with programme support regularly. Though, some placements do not feel well chosen for the programme, and this can be a difficult experience as rotations last a year.
For one of my rotations, I was told I would be in a different role to my actual role, as the role I was told I would be moving into didn't exist, I was not informed about this and had to find this out myself.

How much support do you receive from your employer?

2/5

The support system from the apprenticeship side is good, including with Walbrook. I know the established channels.
Though, we spend far more time in our day-to-day roles and support here throughout the programme has lacked in general.

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

5/5

Overall good support.

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

5/5

Our degree is well tailored to my roles.

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

Some social activites, lots of networking groups if you choose to be involved.

Recommendations & Advice

Would you recommend HSBC to a friend?

Why?

I would not reccommend an apprenticeship with HSBC at the moment. The structure of the apprenticeship is great and gives plenty of exposure around the bank. I also think the education and learning side of the apprenticeship is great. But in my current experience, it feels as though the placements are not well chosen and vetted, my current placement has had negative feedback multiple years in a row, and has still been chosen, it feels as though feedback has been ignored, this has created a stressful enviroment.