Lloyds Banking Group’s commitment to apprenticeships recognised
Lloyds Banking Group’s Apprenticeship Manager for Wales Sharon Morgan with apprentices Anna Harvey, Niall Williams, Hannah Davies, Jamila Malik and Kyley Humphris-Rich.
With a commitment to supporting 8,000 apprenticeship opportunities across Britain by 2020, Lloyds Banking Group (LBG) says it is well on the way to achieving this target after creating more than 700 in Wales alone since 2012.
The group believes apprenticeships have a significant and measurable impact on how it delivers learning. This year, LBG is on track to deliver another 100 learning opportunities for internal colleagues, as well as for new recruits from across Wales, breaking down the long-held belief that they are only for young people.
This commitment to apprenticeships has resulted in LBG being shortlisted for the Macro Employer of the Year Award at the Apprenticeship Awards Cymru, the annual celebration of outstanding achievement in training and apprenticeships.
Thirty-four finalists in a dozen categories are in the running for the prestigious Apprenticeship Awards Cymru, which will be presented at a high-profile ceremony at the new International Convention Centre Wales, Newport, on October 24.
The awards showcase the successes of the best learners, employers, tutors and assessors in Wales who have excelled in contributing to the development of the Welsh Government’s Traineeship and Apprenticeship programmes.
Jointly organised by the Welsh Government and the National Training Federation for Wales (NTfW), the Apprenticeship Awards Cymru has Openreach, the UK’s digital network business, as its premier sponsor this year. The Apprenticeship Programme is funded by the Welsh Government with support from the European Social Fund.
“In Lloyds Banking Group, apprenticeships are for everyone, regardless of pay grade, location, career point or working pattern,” says Sharon Morgan, Apprenticeship Manager – Wales.
“In the last 12 months, we have refocused apprenticeship programmes as part of our 2018 Group Strategic Review by identifying the 10 key skills that will help us meet the changing needs of our customers in a rapidly evolving external environment.
“Our apprenticeship programmes are aligned with these key skills to ensure that they support colleagues to develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours for their current and future job roles.”
A third of all apprenticeship learners have already secured promotions and sickness absence among the apprentice population is a third of their peers, saving in lost productivity.
Since 2017, LBG has formed a close relationship with Cardiff and Vale College (CAVC) to collaboratively develop and deliver a suite of seven programmes for staff in Wales.
“A dedicated CAVC assessment team is located in LBG sites, which improves the apprentices’ experience through offering on-hand help and support,” said Sharon Lewis, Apprenticeship Delivery Manager at CAVC.
“Senior managers are really supportive of the apprentices, they attend the induction and set challenging targets for line managers to ensure that their apprentices progress and achieve.”
Minister for the Economy and Transport, Ken Skates, congratulated LBG and all the other shortlisted finalists.
“Our Welsh Government’s Apprenticeship and Traineeship programmes are helping increasing numbers of people to gain the skills and experience that we know businesses across all sectors of the economy in Wales really need,” he said.
“The Apprenticeship Awards Cymru provides an excellent opportunity to celebrate and showcase the achievements of everyone involved in those programmes from our star apprentices and employers, to learning providers and trainees.”
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