Santander drops 2:1 requirement for graduate scheme
The Spanish bank said the move will open its programme to another 64,000 people every year.
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Recent university graduates who want to join Santander’s graduate scheme will no longer need an upper second or first-class degree from their university after the bank said it is looking for more than just grades.
The Spanish bank said the move will open its programme to 64,000 more people every year.
It follows recent moves by other City firms to recognise students and recent graduates who have performed less well academically than some of their peers but might still have plenty to offer.
Last August, accountancy giant PwC said it was removing the same requirement for its graduate jobs, allowing the business to “assess (the) potential” of candidates rather than simply judging them on academic performance.
Asset manager Schroders also removed the requirement for a 2:1 degree last autumn.
Santander said university performance is not the only indicator of how successful someone might be in the workplace.
Around 16% of students who leave university come out with a 2:2 degree or a third, Santander said.
It will therefore open up to thousands of new potential candidates as applications start later in January.
“Academic achievement is important but it is only one of many factors we look at when searching for new talent,” said Santander human resources director Anouska Ramsay.
“We believe potential can be found anywhere and this move reinforces our commitment to finding the best candidates from a wide range of backgrounds.
“We’ve won awards for our social mobility initiatives and this is an important development to widen our recruitment criteria.
“Those that join us can expect to build a foundation for working in finance and grow their career path within the bank.”