Barclays Financial Services - Careers trip

Further to Year 11s completing a Post-16 Options Google Form to indicate possible areas of interest for future study and employment, a number of Year 11s were invited to attend the “BARCLAYS/GGS EVENT - A CAREER IN FINANCIAL SERVICES”, along with Year 12s who had chosen Finance for their Sixth-Form Enrichment. 

The purpose of the trip was to set out all the options that young people have as a route into the banking and financial services’ industry, as school leavers, to join an apprenticeship; to look at the graduate programme, and routes into Barclays. The trip allowed students to meet and network with a number of colleagues from across Barclays Corporate Bank, to talk about their background and career journey. Understanding why and how it is all about one’s ability and one’s effort that is put in was made clear to the students. There was plenty of time for Q&A, plus refreshments and a great view of London from the 30th floor for all to enjoy!

A number of ‘thank yous’ are required, not least to Mrs Brown, one of our KS4 Student Support Officers, who accompanied the trip and kindly gave her time to help transport and look after the boys during the event. Likewise, a thank you to the Year 11 and 12 students, who were impeccably behaved and a credit to the school and to themselves, due to their enthusiasm, maturity and participation with many questions posed during the event to the colleagues at Barclays.

I would like to extend a most heartfelt thanks to Sharif Faramawi, Relationship Director in Business & Professional Services with Barclays UK Corporate Banking, and a former GGS Town House student, who kindly offered to host and organise the event; his enthusiasm, positivity and generosity with his time in preparing and conducting the Barclays/GGS Careers’ Event, meant the students could receive an extraordinary opportunity to find out more about all the options that young people have, as a route into the banking and financial services’ industry and routes into Barclays overall. Thanks also to Head of Diversity & Inclusion Partner, Deborah Barnwell, for her insights into this area, also to James Morris, Managing Director, Head of Business & Professional Services, Barclays Corporate, Vivian Koleoso, Marketing Manager, Barclays Corporate, Tim Conway, Relationship Director, Business & Professional Services, Barclays Corporate, Ralph Cabral, Relationship Director, Business & Professional Services, Barclays Corporate, Terry Myatt, Business Development Director, Business & Professional Services, Barclays Corporate, and Eva Shell, Associate Banker, Business & Professional Services, Barclays Corporate. All of whom gave their time, wisdom and valuable advice to our students on pathways within Barclays and careers pathways and non-mathematics career and study backgrounds within electronics, history, languages, and getting involved in things beyond academia, for personal and professional skills development.