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TDP Accelerator

Fast track your way to becoming a tech specialist

TDP Accelerator

The Scheme

18-month, on-the-job training for graduates, recent graduates and career changers who want to fast-track their way to a career in IT. Expect hard work and a steep learning curve. As well as a competitive salary, performance-based bonus and employee benefits, you get on-the-job training, a first-hand view on how technical teams work together in a large organisation, plus a manager, buddies and mentors to support you throughout. If you’re ambitious, collaborative and logically minded, you’ll fit right in. Find out more below.

(EC) TDP ACCELERATOR 1

What you’ll do

The scope is wide and we’ll work with you to find what best suits your interests and abilities. You could be dealing with the Security opportunities and challenges presented by Open Banking and new technologies, enhancing user experience or dealing with live incidents. Equally, you might find yourself supporting ongoing innovation, working with Data & Analytics or improving your coding skills to improve our service and build new applications.

Introducing the TDP Accelerator

18 months fast-track, on-the-job, upfront training Academy.

Explore other TDP schemes

IT Industrial Placement

For undergraduates interested in a career at Nationwide.

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Our employee benefits

BENEFITS 1

Competitive salary

And a range of special offers to reward employees who pay their salary into a Nationwide current account.

BENEFITS 2

Generous holiday allowance

24 days, increasing to 30 days per year. We also give our employees the option to ‘buy’ up to an extra 10 days holiday.

BENEFITS 3

Flexible working

This can include options such as flexi-time, part-time, job sharing and term-time working.

(EC) TDP DEGREE APPRENTICESHIPS

Where could it lead?

Within 18 months you could be promoted into a technical specialist role in an area such as Software Engineering, Security, Infrastructure or Online/Mobile Banking. After the programme, you could become a senior technical specialist or move into a management role within the IT community.

As well as a competitive salary, performance-based bonus and employee benefits, you get:

  • To be involved with real business projects that have stretching goals
  • Exposure to senior business leaders through mentoring relationships
  • Online technical training with access to over 6,000 courses on Pluralsight
  • Depending on the area, work towards professional certification in areas such as CompTIA+, Network+, Security+ and more
  • Leadership training courses
  • An increase in commercial and strategic awareness through on-the-job learning
  • The possibility of working towards a future position or promotion at Nationwide
  • A Scheme Manager, buddies and mentors to support you throughout

Why Nationwide?

Our Transformation strategy and massive inward investment puts tech front and centre in order to better serve the financial needs of our 15 million members. Our Technology Development Programme is a crucial part of this Transformation.


What does this mean in terms of our technology initiatives? We are:

  • Re-platforming our digital assets and making operating model changes, driven by Agile adoption, DevOps standards and Cloud exploitation
  • Creating new jobs and opening a new UK technology hub
  • Driving UK service leadership through digitisation and multi-channel technology integration
  • Establishing a £50m FinTech venture fund and planning the launch of Open Banking aggregation services

Our Technology Development Programme forms a crucial part of these initiatives. 

And yes, we’re growing fast, but we’re also holding firm to the values that make us different: commitment to our members, our people, and to building society. We need people who can help us make a positive difference.

Anneke Sissons

Why I changed career and why I'd recommend it

Anneke is a Security Lead in the Technical Testing Team and made the switch from teaching into security through the Nationwide Technology Development Programme (TDP). Wanting to provide assistance to others who may be seeking a career change into tech, this is her story.

What’s your background and how is it different to life at Nationwide?
I was a maths teacher before joining TDP, which is of course a completely different scale of work – although it was as fast paced as it is here at Nationwide. A big difference though is that here you have to collaborate a lot more. I’ve had to learn the rules of business and security simultaneously – and a big part of that is communication. I often have to pick out the bigger picture from conversations with people who are super focused in one area.

Why did you decide to change career?
I got to the point where my work felt repetitive, which is when I saw the TDP advert. All I knew was that I was technically minded, analytical and creative, but had never figured out how those things could merge. Even when I was interviewed I didn’t know enough about my own skills to know where I should be placed. When I did my first training in Network Plus it was like a whole world had opened up.

My day to day work 
I’ve been here two years, and working as a Security Lead for four months, but it still feels like I’m new because although I’ve learnt an enormous amount, there’s still so much more. It feels like I’m at the tip of a huge iceberg.

At the moment, I’m involved in arranging security testing and I love it to the point where I get up in the morning and really want to go to work!

It’s an area where a lot of what we do is hidden, so it’s like a quiet success every day that everything remains strong and gets stronger. I have to understand IT changes and allocate test resource from my team to the business. We’re part of a wider team that manages system vulnerabilities so we need to make sure we are up to date with everything from patching to keeping all our card and customer data secure.

Challenges so far 
To begin with, prioritising. Here, it’s down to you to negotiate how much work you can take on and that took me a while to navigate. In a way, every day is a challenge – but a good one. It’s kept me on my toes and I’ve had to think quickly. Luckily there’s a good balance of firefighting and thinking time.

What are the highlights so far?
A lot of the extra, non-tech training, for example around leadership skills and challenging your own mindset, has been really inspiring. We’ve also started building more of a team social life which has been great. I’m a mum of a six-year old so a lot of my time is taken up at home but I’m hoping to get out more!

Next goals
I want to learn more about security and better understand how we differ from other financial institutions in the way we work. I want to keep challenging myself to think of new or improved ways to do things.

Advice to anyone thinking of joining TDP?
Don’t hesitate and go for it! I wasted quite a bit of time thinking about changing career and now I wish I hadn’t because TDP has been an amazing opportunity to learn quickly and challenge myself in a safe environment.

(TEAM) PRODUCT AND PROPOSITION 1

About you

We’re looking for people who want to develop a career in IT, and have the passion and determination to grow, develop and learn. Ideally, candidates also:

Have a background in a STEM subject

Can pay attention to detail while understanding the bigger picture

Are natural problem solvers

Have what it takes to build and maintain strong working relationships

About the application process

Most applications will go through four key stages before we make a decision. The process is broadly as below although we sometimes tweak it so this is a guide:

Step 1 Submit your CV and complete an online application form.

Step 2 Complete 2 Digital Readiness online tests. These consist of a working memory ability assessment and a personality assessment.

Step 3 If you’re shortlisted after the online tests, we’ll arrange a 20-minute engagement call to ask you about your motivation for applying, your interest in Technology and your IT role preference.

Step 4 The final stage is an assessment centre with assessors from the business. This comprises an interview and individual exercise.

We keep you updated throughout the recruitment process on what will happen next to your application.