Nationwide Building Society
2026 Regional Winner | Skills Transformation
Industry
Financial Services
Company HQ
Swindon, United Kingdom
Number of Employees
25,000
Office Locations
United Kingdom
How Nationwide Building Society democratised learning with Udemy
Business outcomes
97%
pass rate across early careers examinations
50+
learning sessions in Learning at Work Week
1,200+
learning hours generated in one week
Challenge
Building future-focused capability at pace
Nationwide Building Society is the world’s largest building society and a member-owned financial institution, providing banking, savings, mortgage, and lending services to millions of customers across the UK. As a mutual organisation, Nationwide operates for the benefit of its members rather than shareholders, with a focus on fair value, excellent service, and supporting communities. Its purpose is “Banking but fairer, more rewarding, and for the good of society.”
Nationwide faced the challenge of building a workforce that was “focused, fit, and fast” to deliver its Blueprint for a Modern Mutual. The organisation needed to strengthen capability across its Chief Operating Office in areas including AI, data, cloud technologies, project delivery, business analysis, leadership, and automation.
Critical skills and behaviours were identified through strategic workforce planning, capability reviews, performance frameworks, and colleague development conversations. The organisation translated these insights into role-based capability frameworks and development pathways, identifying growth areas including AI, data, cloud, project delivery, business analysis, leadership, and automation.
“We had no way to democratise learning across a diverse organisation without a platform like Udemy,” said Lindsay Melia, Senior Consultant. “We needed to make high-quality learning accessible to every colleague, regardless of role or location.”
Nationwide set out to build an integrated learning ecosystem that would connect learning directly to business priorities and make development part of everyday work.
“Without a platform like Udemy, we couldn’t democratise learning across a diverse organisation. We needed a way to make high-quality learning accessible to every colleague, regardless of role or location.”
Solution
An integrated learning ecosystem with Udemy
Nationwide built an integrated learning ecosystem that combines self-directed learning, on-the-job development, mentoring, coaching, communities of practice, learning events, career development pathways, and manager-led development conversations. Learning is embedded within the ambition to build a workforce that is focused, fit, and fast, creating a direct connection between business priorities, colleague development, and future workforce capability.
Udemy Business serves as a core component of the ecosystem, delivering consistent, on-demand learning across diverse teams. Whether colleagues work in technology, operations, change, risk, data, or leadership roles, they access the same high-quality learning content, frameworks, terminology, and industry practices. Udemy creates a common language around emerging topics such as AI, cloud technologies, automation, data analytics, agile delivery, and leadership.
“Udemy democratises learning across Nationwide. Colleagues aren’t limited by geography, role, or seniority — they access learning when they need it, in a format that works for them,” Melia said.
Nationwide reinforces Udemy learning through broader development initiatives including Learning at Work Week, skills campaigns, role-based development pathways, professional qualifications, and capability programs. Learning insights from Udemy provide visibility into emerging skills, capability gaps, and development trends, helping the organisation continuously improve its learning strategy and shape future workforce planning.
“Udemy democratises learning across Nationwide. Colleagues aren’t limited by geography, role, or seniority — they access learning when they need it, in a format that works for them.”
Results
2,140 learners and 97% pass rate
The integrated learning ecosystem delivered measurable impact across the Chief Operating Office. Udemy users grew from 1,420 at go-live to 2,140 by January to March 2026. Colleagues enrolled on a course since activation increased from 928 to 1,901, and colleagues who watched a lecture since activation increased from 776 to 1,763. Learner ratings rose from 4.3 out of 5 at go-live to 4.5 out of 5.
Learning at Work Week delivered more than 50 learning sessions across topics including AI, data, risk, confidence, technology, wellbeing, and leadership, creating more than 1,200 learning hours in one week. The redesigned Early Careers Academy embedded AI-supported Udemy Business learning pathways into structured development journeys for 81 early careers colleagues, achieving a 97% pass rate across all core examinations.
“With Udemy, we’ve built a clearer and more scalable approach to skills development. Colleagues have better access to relevant learning, and teams can build priority skills more consistently,” Melia said.
Technology skills accounted for the largest share of learning time, ranging from 78.8% to 87.3%. Business skills remained important, with colleagues learning in areas such as business analysis, project management, Microsoft Excel, Power Platform, JIRA, leadership, and AI.
“With Udemy, we’ve built a clearer and more scalable approach to skills development. Colleagues have better access to relevant learning, and teams can build priority skills more consistently.”
Looking Ahead
Building future-focused capabilities
Nationwide continues to build future-focused capabilities at pace, using the flexibility of Udemy to adapt learning to evolving business priorities. Learning insight now gives the organisation a stronger view of where capability is growing and where further support may be needed.
“Using Udemy as our foundation, we’re keeping development closely linked to business priorities while supporting colleagues to build the skills they need for the future,” Melia said.
The organisation plans to continue refining learning priorities using engagement and learning data, making evidence-based decisions about future development investment and strengthening the connection between learning and workforce planning.
“Using Udemy as our foundation, we’re keeping development closely linked to business priorities while supporting colleagues to build the skills they need for the future.”
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