Students from Swanlea School in Whitechapel learned all about possible careers in banking when they visited NatWest head office in the City of London.
Around 70 Year 10s and Year 12s took part in the two-day visit to NatWest in Bishopsgate where they were met by members of the bank’s Real Estate Finance (REF) team, who gave them an idea of what it’s like to work in financial services.
Activities included an overview of the various areas of banking as well as a workshop which looked at how the bank supports businesses through lending.
There were presentations from various colleagues including the bank’s early careers team as well as senior members of the bank’s REF and wider Corporate Banking team followed by an office tour. Later this year pupils will also be given tips on CV writing, interview skills and how they can take advantage of early talent opportunities, and how skills development around AI can support their future careers.
One pupil who visited NatWest said: “I liked the fact that we were able to take part in a Q&A session with the employers. I also appreciated how they took the time to give us a tour of the NatWest building to get a sense of the work environment at NatWest. There was an individual by the name of Amoor; she was really inspiring and gave us lots of advice and tips.”
Headteacher Kabir Miah said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with the NatWest Real Estate Finance Team. Our pupils were genuinely appreciative of the opportunity to visit the London head office of a major global financial institution and learnt much about the financial sector during the day. We look forward to building on this alliance with NatWest in the forthcoming academic year.”
Charlie Foster, Head of Real Estate Finance at NatWest, said: “It was a privilege to welcome the students from Swanlea School to NatWest so they could see what a career in banking looks like. For many, working in the financial services industry may not be something they had ever thought about, but we wanted to show them just how diverse and wide ranging the career opportunities in banking can be.”
