The Bank of England is the UK’s central bank. We promote the good of the people of the UK by maintaining monetary and financial stability. Diversity and inclusion is key to our mission. We want to reflect the society we serve better, by building an inclusive environment that attracts the best people to work for us.

We know that our success depends on our people. That means ensuring the Bank is a diverse and inclusive place to work, which welcomes people with a range of relevant skills and experience.

We have launched many initiatives to embrace diversity and inclusion, but we know there is a lot more to do. In 2020 we commissioned a Review of Ethnic Diversity and Inclusion in the Bank. That Review gave us a list of recommendations that we are committed to implementing. We have already made ‘building a diverse and inclusive Bank’ a strategic priority for 2021-24, and have set new and stretching targets to increase gender and ethnic diversity.

Work for us

There are a number of ways to start a career at the Bank of England. We run apprenticeship programmes, internships and work placements. We also run an African-Caribbean scholarship, and are currently welcoming expressions of interest for our 2022 programme. Whether you are a school leaver or a graduate, we offer routes in to an exciting, rewarding and well-remunerated career.

Diversity at the Bank of England

Bank of England colleagues join from all over the UK and beyond: in total, we have over 70 different nationalities working together.

We recruit from a very broad range of disciplines: over the past year, 445 experienced external candidates joined us, including specialist risk, data, economics and technology professionals. The 68 graduates in our 2020 cohort came from 33 different degree disciplines – up from just 13 different disciplines 10 years ago. We are strongly committed to our apprenticeship offering, and offer over 35 different apprenticeships. Over the past year, we have exceeded the public sector apprenticeship target despite the challenges of remote working with 114 new apprentice starts.

We run a Careers Returners Programme as we have recognised there is a large untapped talent pool of experienced professionals on a career break, which includes high-calibre candidates who have taken time out of their careers for a variety of reasons. These returner schemes enable the Bank to target a group of highly skilled and qualified professionals, with the internship acting as a trial period for both parties, and helps the Bank to bridge the gender diversity gap. It has proved a huge success and we now run an annual programme.

The Bank of England offers significant flexibility. 14.2% of colleagues have formal part-time working arrangements, rising to 20% among senior management. Many more flex their hours informally to help them balance the demands of work and home. Flexibility has been more important than ever during the past 18 months, and all colleagues have been supported to adapt their working patterns to their individual circumstances.

We also support diversity and inclusion through our staff-run networks. These include: LGBT+ and Allies Network; disAbility network; Bank of England Ethnic Minorities Network; Women in the Bank Network; Mental Health Network, a number of faith networks and more.

We are recruiting now for roles across the Bank, including our Career Returners Programme. Check here for the opportunities we have available: www.bankofengland/careers