National Apprenticeship Week
Posted by Jo 7th February 20
Bath Building Society has partnered with the City of Bath College providing a work based apprenticeship programme for local students for several years.
During National Apprenticeship Week we chatted to our current Apprentice, Customer Service Advisor, 17-year-old Business Administration student, Jake Vernon. We talked about what he’s learnt so far during his time as an apprentice with us and any advice he’d give to students considering an apprenticeship.
Did you always plan to complete an apprenticeship?
I always knew I wanted to get on the career ladder early and the Business Administration course provides the perfect combination of classroom based study towards a recognised qualification and a year of work based training.
Why a Bath Building Society apprenticeship, have you always been interested in a career in finance?
To be honest, no. I was terrible at maths at school! But I was drawn to Bath Building Society as I’d knew it would be a great opportunity to work for a well established local business. I’d read a lot about their work in the community with local causes and financial education programme which says a lot about the company culture which I’m really happy to be a part of.
What have you enjoyed most about your time as an apprentice?
I enjoy the variety of my day working with the teams in our Wood Street and Moorland Road Branches. The Society prides itself on providing a personal service and that starts in the Branches, providing a warm welcome for all customers and helping with any queries they have. I’ve also enjoyed being involved in much of the community work they do. All members of staff are trained to be Dementia Friends, and I’ve also supported the Financial Education programme with local schools and colleges, helping a group of Project Search students open a savings account at our Wood Street branch.
What advice would you give to someone considering an apprenticeship?
I’d say go for it, and take every opportunity offered to you, definitely! I’ve been lucky to get the chance to spend time with all the different teams at the Society, from customer service, marketing and IT to mortgages, accounts and compliance. It’s really boosted my confidence and I now feel a lot more professional when communicating with new customers every day. I’ve learnt a lot from the team here and I love putting my knowledge to the test!
