Our recent interview with Mike Thompson, former head of Barclays’ bank apprenticeship program in the UK, makes a compelling case for American banks to consider bank apprenticeships. Barclays and many other banks doing business in the UK have found their bank apprenticeship programs to be transformational for both the banks and apprentices.

Mike pointed out that through its apprenticeship program, Barclays was able to fill gaps in their workforce, achieve much higher retention rates, create positive changes in the bank’s culture, and provide opportunities in banking to talented individuals that would not have existed previously.

The Bank Apprenticeship Resource Coalition (BARC), a division of AABD, was established to support the efforts of American banks to offer bank apprenticeships. Currently, very few banks in the U.S. offer apprenticeships. Virtually all banks in the UK do, with great success. Learn more at www.WeAreBarc.org.