Learning and development in action

I’ve worked for Lloyds Banking Group for 13 years, having joined the  Group through the Halifax branch network at the age of 17 as a Customer Advisor. I worked in branch for 5 years before moving into a position in head office where I helped deliver some interesting projects, including the introduction of Wi-Fi and tablets into retail branches. I now work as a Product Owner on the Insider Risk Programme.

I’d always wanted to study further and looked into undertaking a degree on numerous occasions. However, I felt it wouldn’t be possible due to the cost and my lack of A-levels.

When I saw the Digital and Technology Solutions Degree Apprenticeship advertised internally, I immediately registered. It sounded too good to be true, but I was also worried that I wouldn’t be accepted. I attended the introduction call and was over the moon when they said no qualifications were needed apart from grades A-C in English and maths, and if you didn’t have them they’d provide support to get these qualifications in place.

For me it was a no-brainer - an opportunity like this wouldn’t come around every day. The journey has been life changing for me. I learnt multiple new skills (coding, report writing and more) that I wouldn’t have gained without this apprenticeship.

The Group have been fantastic in supporting my learning journey. They’ve provided me with great flexibility, allowing me to take time out every week to attend the university and study. The opportunity has also given me some amazing experiences that I’m incredibly proud of, including winning the highly commended judges choice award at the Asian Apprenticeship Awards, and the highly commended award at regional level at the National Apprenticeship Awards.

For anyone considering whether to take on a degree apprenticeship, I would say go for it! It’s an amazing, life changing opportunity. Don’t let mindset or self-doubt make you think you can’t do it or won’t get accepted. Age, experience, past education doesn’t matter. If you are willing to put the time and effort in, it will be very fruitful.

What I love about working at Lloyds Banking Group is the focus on my own development. It’s had such a huge impact on how I’ve grown my career. I started here in our HR department, and I got to do a lot of different roles in different business areas. This helped me really reflect on what I liked to do at work, and made me realise that I loved working with people and co-ordinating projects.

I ended up in a role where the team I was working with had adopted Scrum -  a type of project management framework - to help them deliver their best work at a fast pace. I absolutely loved it, it was so motivating and we delivered so much, fast! I was determined to learn how to become a Scrum Master, and everyone I reached out to was so keen to help me. I started out with shadowing Scrum Master mentors, and joined the Accelerated Development Program.

Through the programme I gained the understanding, techniques and tools I needed, and a professional qualification to help advance my career. This was all achieved on the job and with the full support of my manager and colleagues. I found that my colleagues really wanted to help me succeed, and helped me to find the tools to keep learning. It’s been such a journey, and I really couldn’t have done it without the training and development support I’ve found here.

I’ve found the learning and development at Lloyds Banking Group amazing. It’s helped me switch roles so easily, and find the right path for me throughout my career. When I joined, I worked in one of our Fraud departments . I helped to enhance and automate processes, and improve my colleagues’ experiences in the workplace. After a while, a colleague pointed out my mindset and work style in that role would be a good fit for Technology and IT. I did a bit of research, spoke to a few other teams, and found that it really suited me.

I applied for a role as a Lead Business Analyst in Cyber Security. When I got it, I realised just how transferable the skills I’d built up were. I was able to thrive in a completely different business area. Now, I work in Commercial Banking as a Cybersecurity Manager. It’s a role that challenges me, and my team have been so supportive. I’m always given the resources I need to learn new technologies and drive things forward for the Group and our customers.

When I think about it, there’s always been a focus on development here. In my first role, I put forward a proposal of Development Hours for 700 colleagues which was accepted by senior leaders. It showed me straight away that there was an environment here which encouraged development and supported new ways of working. I’m still finding that’s true years later.