Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) is using simulation-based training to prepare diverse early career candidates for competitive internships. Anna Buckley from AmplifyME explains how.
Attracting and developing diverse early career talent remains a significant challenge for employers. Many students, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds, lack exposure to commercial environments or clarity on career pathways within competitive sectors like finance.
Traditional one-size-fits-all training models often fail to prepare candidates for high-pressure roles. In contrast, Forbes reports that immersive, AI-powered environments allow learners to build confidence and refine practical skills in scenarios that closely mirror real-world responsibilities.
Employees using simulation-based learning can test boundaries, receive real-time feedback, and safely develop new skills at their own pace, an approach that’s rapidly redefining how organisations close skill gaps and increase readiness (Forbes Technology Council, 2025).
For 2025 and beyond, simulation-based training will play a critical role in shaping how employers and educators develop talent. These environments provide practical, adaptable experiences that help ensure access is determined by potential, not privilege.
Bridging the knowledge and confidence gap
RBC's Capital Markets Women’s Advisory Programme supports high-potential first-year university women by connecting them with opportunities to network, building their understanding of capital markets, developing their skills and preparing them for internships in the industry.
The programme faced a clear challenge: how do you provide deep, meaningful training to participants with little to no financial background, across three global locations, in under five weeks?
The answer was targeted simulation-based development, designed to build skills, confidence, and clarity for the journey ahead.
Many participants arrived unfamiliar with capital markets, the roles available, or how their own skill sets might align. RBC needed a way to rapidly close these gaps, help candidates understand their strengths, and ensure they were interview-ready by the end of the programme.
How simulated training works
Simulated training provides an innovative approach to levelling the playing field, offering candidates hands-on experience in a risk-free environment. Rather than passively absorbing information through traditional learning methods, participants actively engage in real-world job simulations that replicate the demands of high-intensity roles.
For RBC, AmplifyME designed a tailored programme featuring:
- Immersive role-based simulations: Participants experienced roles ranging from Junior Investment Banking Analyst to Trader and ESG Investment Manager, gaining exposure to different areas of capital markets.
- Incremental learning design: Simulations gradually increased in complexity over five weeks, ensuring participants built confidence and capability before tackling the most challenging exercises.
- Data-driven insights: Performance data from each session was shared with RBC’s early careers team, providing a detailed understanding of each candidate’s strengths and development areas for better-informed division placement.
Marc Caporiccio, Global Diversity Lead for Early Talent Acquisition, remarked, “At RBC, we made sure that each of the women selected to join the RBC Capital Markets Women’s Advisory Programme were paired with someone in the business who could offer helpful guidance and practical advice from a place of experience.”
Watch Marc explain more about the project
Results: equipping candidates for success
The impact of this initiative has been transformative:
- 90% of participants progressed to the final-stage interview for RBC’s summer internships.
- 96% reported increased career clarity, helping them make informed decisions about their future in finance.
- 90% gained deeper insights into the industry, significantly improving their ability to compete in recruitment processes.
These results underscore the effectiveness of simulated training in not only improving technical proficiency but also in building confidence and career ambition among underrepresented groups.
Lessons learned and advice for employers
For organisations looking to implement similar initiatives, there are key takeaways from RBC’s success:
- Customisation is key: Simulated training should be tailored to align with the specific roles and competencies an employer seeks to develop.
- Continuous progression matters: Gradually increasing the complexity of tasks ensures participants build skills sustainably without feeling overwhelmed.
- Data-driven decision-making enhances outcomes: Tracking participant performance allows recruitment teams to place candidates in the most suitable roles, improving retention and long-term success.
RBC’s use of simulations demonstrates how this approach can break down barriers to entry and provide all candidates, regardless of background, with the opportunity to succeed.
As more employers recognise the value of hands-on learning, simulated training is set to become a cornerstone of early careers development, ensuring that potential, not privilege, determines access to top-tier opportunities.