Integrated Programme Plan Co-ordinator Review

My Job title is Integrated Programme Plan (IPP) Co-ordinator, and I work on the Telefonica account. My responsibilities vary from managing the amount of people we have working in each team within the account, and managing what projects they are working on. I also assist the IPP Manager is controlling what projects are going through each of the Test environments at any given time. I work with people in the office here in the UK and also with our colleagues in Bangalore, India.

I am on course to gain highly recognized qualifications, and build high level on the job experience. I am learning many new skills from IT and Project Management. The Apprenticeship Scheme consists of a number of internal courses where you have the opportunity to expand your knowledge and skills in a different environment with people in the same situation as you.

I thoroughly enjoy my day to day job and enjoy being a part of a huge company like IBM. To be able to earn good money whilst learning and progressing your skills in a work environment is fantastic. IBM as a company really values all of their employees, and make sure they are rewarded for the work they do. So far, the role is meeting and exceeding my expectations, and I hope it continues in that fashion in the future.

I feel extremely valued by IBM. Despite only being an Apprentice, you get treated exactly the same as people that have worked at the company for 20+ years. The work you do does not go un-recognized, and you receive a lot of appreciation and praise from your managers and colleagues. The work that I get involved in and are given responsibilities for is great, even as an Apprentice you are trusted to contribute a high level of work to the customer.

There is a fantastic structure to the Apprenticeship Scheme and the company as a whole. You begin your IBM career with a two week induction, where you work with other new Apprentices, and gain a fantastic insight into the company and what to expect over the next 3 years of being an Apprentice. There is continued training that benefits you and your career path within IBM. There is a huge network of people around you that are more than willing to assist you with anything that you need. Whether that be other Apprentices/Graduates, your work stream Manager, day to day colleagues, or your Personal Development Manager, there is always someone who you can speak to about anything.

Our Training Provider was present at our Induction week, and gave us lots of information about they would be involved with our progression in the Apprenticeship Scheme.

There are so many different places you can get support and guidance from within IBM. The email software we use makes it accessible to instantly speak with any other employee of IBM around the world. You are given a Personal Development Manager, who you have regular meetings with to discuss how you are doing, and ask any questions that you may have.

Even though you are in an Apprenticeship Scheme, IBM offer a highly competitive salary, with many other benefits on top. IBM are based all around the world, and have many bases around the UK, so there are plenty of offices that you can work from depending on what project you are working on.

There are many voluntary opportunities that you can get involved in within IBM. They visit many schools and colleges to advertise IBM and in particular the Apprenticeship Scheme, so it is really easy to get involved in them to promote the job you are doing.

Yes

To have the opportunity to work for one of the biggest highly-recognized companies in the world, and gain valuable qualifications in the mean time, and earn a good salary, and build your skills and knowledge in a work environment, and be part of a valued member of a team is second to none.

Be open-minded about what you want to gain from the Apprenticeship Scheme. It is not until you are inside IBM, that you understand just how much work IBM do, and how many different kinds of projects and initiatives you can get involved in. They encourage you to try as many different roles as you can, which is brilliant to find what you are best at, and what you most enjoy.