High Street challenger bank Metro has confirmed plans to recruit for a further 900 posts this year, which will include new roles in its expanded IT apprenticeship programme.

The recruitment drive will take the bank’s workforce to almost 4,000, and comes after the financial institution hired an additional 500 new colleagues in 2017.

The company said that a key area of investment was its apprenticeship scheme, with the bank last year becoming a certified employer provider, meaning that as well as hiring apprentices it is also able to deliver apprenticeship training through its dedicated in-house facility, Metro Bank University.

With around 100 places available, the bank will roll out sector-specific apprenticeship programmes across IT, HR and cashiering. The schemes are accredited by either City and Guilds or The Chartered Banker Institute, and apprentices will receive a recognised qualification at the end of the 12-36 month programme.

Craig Donaldson, CEO at Metro Bank, said: “Metro Bank is a story of growth and opportunity. Since we opened our doors in 2010 we’ve created over 3,000 jobs, and by the end of the year we’ll have created another 900.

“Investing in and developing our colleagues is central to the success of our model,” he continued. “Whether it’s coming up with forward-thinking functionality on our app to save customers’ time, or transforming someone’s day when they visit us in store, our colleagues have made the banking revolution what it is today and together we’ll create more and more fans.”

The Metro Bank University, which has expanded to three campuses across London, also offers employees more than 75 classroom-based courses and 130 e-learning sessions to help progress and develop their skills. The bank added that in 2017 its development initiatives helped it promote 25 per cent of colleagues who had been with the firm a year or more.

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