Colfe’s student selected for workplace apprenticeship with UBS

Colfe’s student Nina (Y13) has secured an apprenticeship with UBS following a highly competitive application process. Nina said, “In September, I will be starting a Wealth Management apprenticeship at the Swiss Investment Bank UBS. I chose to pursue an apprenticeship over my selected course at Durham University because after extensive research I appreciated the value of learning transferable skills from industry professionals whilst gaining qualifications.”

As they only offer the apprenticeship to 15 school-leavers per year, the selection process lasted four months, consisting of multiple assessment stages. These included video interviews, IQ testing and face-to-face interviews to assess personal qualities and industry knowledge.

The course will last two years, during which Nina will complete various investment qualifications whilst learning from Senior Wealth Managers.

Director of Sixth Form, Spencer Drury said, “Colfe’s students are encouraged to look at a range of options post-A-level and these high level apprenticeships are definitely growing in popularity. Candidates work towards a formal academic qualification in the workplace whilst gaining relevant industry-specific experience. Colfe’s applicants in recent years have been successful in gaining sought-after places with Goldman Sachs, Ernst & Young and UBS, all of which offer extremely attractive programmes.”

Workplace apprenticeships are an increasingly popular alternative to the conventional university degree course. A growing number of multinational corporations now offer structured apprenticeship training programmes which lead to management posts. These are salaried from the outset and successful candidates gain valuable real-world experience at the same time as working towards relevant academic qualifications.

In 2018, four students at Colfe’s Sixth Form gained apprenticeships with leading organisations, including Goldman Sachs and Ernst & Young.