Future First brings diverse students to Barclays

Banking group Barclays has partnered with Future First, a provider of alumni networks for state schools, to reach out to a wider and more diverse pool of applicants in 2013 for its Retail Development Programme (RDP).
Wed, 13 Feb 2013Banking group Barclays has partnered with Future First, a provider of alumni networks for state schools, to reach out to a wider and more diverse pool of applicants in 2013 for its Retail Development Programme (RDP).

The RDP offers over 60 places a year to school leavers, giving them a chance to combine a sponsored Bachelors degree in leadership and management with a competitive salary and full-time work experience across the Barclays retail banking business.

The Barclays Employability Team engaged Future First to help attract higher numbers from diverse backgrounds in 2013, with a specific remit to attract young people before they make decisions about work or University, to create a pool of talent of students in their final year at school and raise the career aspirations and employability skills of young people.

Future First works with over 500 state schools across England, with a focus on schools with double the national average of students on free school meals or with English as an additional language.

Shaun Meekins, head of employability engagement at Barclays: “As the programme grows, so does our appetite to reach far greater and diverse communities, ensuring the offering reaches a larger audience. Through our partnership with Future First, we are realising the talent across a far wider academic community, and hope to be able to offer some fantastic opportunities to these talented students.”

Nynke Brett, head of corporate partnerships at Future First: “We’re impressed that Barclays is taking such an exemplary approach to its entry level recruitment, recognising that young people from diverse backgrounds are a rich source of talent. We’re delighted to be working together and offering such a fantastic opportunity to students across our schools.”

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