Barclays blazes a trail on apprentices : Pioneering scheme opens route to a banking career

Purpose – Considers the new Trailblazer apprenticeships being offered by Barclays and Santander. Design/methodology/approach – Examines the reasons for the programs and the results they are expected to achieve. Findings – Explains that the three-year Trailblazer qualification enables young people to achieve the sixth-level apprenticeship, equivalent to a university degree. Practical implications – Demonstrates the wide range of career options open to successful candidates. Social implications – Highlights a useful route into training and employment for young people, some of whom have spurned conventional higher education and training. Originality/value – Shows how two banks are implementing the government’s Trailblazer apprenticeship scheme.