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School leaver programmes in finance: who runs them

Who runs them, what they pay, when they open.

Competition for degree apprenticeships has roughly quadrupled in two years: around 11 applications per place, up from around 3.

around 3

2023/24

around 8

2024/25

around 11

2025/26

Source: DWP Find an Apprenticeship data (Level 6, England), reported by BBC News, August 2026.

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In brief

School leaver programmes in finance are structured jobs with training, joined at eighteen instead of after university. The main form is the degree apprenticeship: employed by a bank, paid from day one, studying for a degree alongside the job. In the current cycle, Barclays, J.P. Morgan, Goldman Sachs, HSBC and Morgan Stanley all run programmes school leavers can apply to, with applications opening mainly in September and October.
The catch is competition: in England as a whole, degree apprenticeships drew about 11.3 applications per advertised place in the most recent year measured, up from 2.8 three years earlier.

Published 8 October 2026 · Updated 8 October 2026

The types of programme

Three forms matter. The degree apprenticeship is the flagship: four years typically, a full bachelor's degree with a partner university, tuition paid by the employer. Higher apprenticeships are shorter and do not always include a full degree. Some firms also run trainee and insight roles that start earlier and lead into these programmes. The titles vary by firm, so read the programme page, not the label.

Who runs them

In investment banking and markets, the programmes tracked in the current cycle include Barclays, J.P. Morgan, Goldman Sachs, HSBC and Morgan Stanley. Firms across professional services and insurance run parallel schemes with the same shape: employment from day one, structured study, and a qualification at the end. This page covers finance; the same logic applies across the sector.

What they pay

Barclays publishes £25,200 as the starting salary for its degree apprenticeship. Most other employers do not publish a figure, and no verified finance-wide average exists. Apprentice pay rises at each stage of the programme, and the apprentice finishes with roughly four years of work experience and no tuition debt.

When applications open

In the current cycle, 22 apprenticeship programmes opened in September 2026 and 18 more in October, with Goldman Sachs and HSBC opening in October and Morgan Stanley in November. Employers review applications on a rolling basis and fill places before the published closing date - HSBC asks candidates to apply as soon as possible, and J.P. Morgan says it fills its classes on a rolling basis. Apply at the start of the window.

How they compare with university

The apprenticeship trades breadth for directness: no tuition debt and four years of experience, in exchange for committing to one employer and one city at eighteen. The university route costs tuition and living costs, gives three years to explore, and runs on UCAS deadlines rather than rolling review. Many students apply for both and decide when the results are in - nothing prevents that.

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Related guides

The free parent guide compares the three routes, with the application calendar for this cycle.

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