Metro Bank to Tackle Youth Unemployment with the Evening Standard

25 October 2012

 

 

 

Metro Bank, the newest bank to appear on Britain’s high streets in the last 100 years, has now become the Evening Standard’s biggest subscriber to their Ladder for London campaign.

The new bank will be hiring 150 apprentices after signing up to the scheme created by the Evening Standard and their partner City Gateway, which encourages businesses to take on apprentices as a way of providing opportunities for young people in London to start working.

The Evening Standard reports that the pledge has followed from the chief executive, Craig Donaldson’s, upbringing in an unprivileged area. Donaldson, 40, grew up in a pit village just outside of Sunderland and speaks of the ‘miserable impact on families’ that unemployment had in the area.

Despite positive figures of unemployment being reported recently, there is still one in four young Londoners unemployed. The Office for National Statistics have released figures detailing that youth unemployment in the quarter up to August has risen 28,000 more than the previous quarter. It now stands that the percentage of unemployed young males stands at 27.3%, while females are now at 23.7%.

According to the Evening Standard, Donaldson’s father had financial difficulties while many of his school friends had low expectations and no job opportunities. But Donaldson himself was lucky enough to have someone take a chance on him, and now he would like to do the same in an attempt to bring down the youth joblessness in London.  He believes that an apprenticeship will provide with the experience and aspirations that will drive the individuals to achieve more.

‘Young people’s biggest obstacle is lack of work experience, and an apprenticeship provides the idea sustainable start for a young person seeking that first rung on the ladder. ‘

The apprentices will be employed into telebanking, IT, or as cashiers, each with a salary of £16000. After a three-month probation period, there may be an opportunity for their placement to become permanent. These placements will also help to build up their business in their rapidly expanding company.

Metro Bank tells the Evening Standard that they are looking for people with ‘the right attitude, who work hard and want to delight our customers...if you can bring that can-do attitude to us, we can give you not just a job but an exciting career.’

As Donaldson points out, “young people are the building blocks, not just of Metro Bank, but of our economy”.

 

Below is the full list of organisations signed up to Ladder for London and the number of Apprentices they have pledged (taken from: http://www.standard.co.uk/news/work/ladder-for-london-roll-of-honour-8214623.html)

Name of Organisation signed up to Ladder for London	Number of Apprentices Pledged
Metro Bank	150
British Gas	32
Royal Bank of Scotland	16
Pret A Manger	12
City of London Corporation	10
Goldman Sachs	10
Reebok Gym	10
Peacock Gym	6
Citi	5
Kleinwort Benson	4
Switch Fire	3
Argyll Scott	2
Ballymore	2
Haus Properties	2
ISG	2
Saracens	2
SNR Denton	2
Adaptis	1
Altour	1
Asperity	1
ASQ Education	1
Aqueous	1
Baker & McKenzie	1
Cambridge House	1
Cinema Live	1
Conoco Phillips	1
CK Re-insurance	1
CV Boosters	1
Derwent London	1
Detra Recruitment	1
Dillistone International	1
Double Negative	1
Eds Place	1
Essendine	1
Excellian	1
Fast Fill	1
Green Recruitment	1
Integral Search	1
Land Securities	1
London Chamber Orchestra	1
London Evening Standard	1
London First	1
Lush Cosmetics	1
Markit	1
Modern Capital	1
New Entrepreneurs Foundation	1
Olympia Properties	1
Ondra Partners	1
Patrick's Solicitors	1
Phillips 66	1
Pulse Jobs	1
Radflek	1
Reesmarx	1
Royal Opera House	1
Salt	1
Saunderson House	1
Southbank Centre	1
Sthree	1
St James Hotel	1
Strategy Insights	1
Telecity	1
Thread Marketing	1
Tiger Aspects	1
University of East London	1
Underwired	1
V4VoIP	1
RUNNING TOTAL	320