Technology Degree Apprentice Review

I am at work 3 days a week, and university 2 days. The days at uni involves standard lectures, tutorials and lab sessions to develop our coding skills, or learning about software design or other aspects of computer science, whilst at work I am given projects to work on and add value to the firm. This involves technical coding, delivering presentations and reports, participating in team meetings and interacting with colleagues across the globe.

At university we are being taught java, and this is supplemented by what we do at work. We are given projects which are in line with our technical ability, but also stretch us and allow us to learn things we wouldn't learn at university. There is also a massive emphasis on soft skills, and regularly we do presentations or have sessions on how to be a better worker. These sessions involve concepts such as time management, dealing with stress or working with our managers.

I enjoy going to work as I know that each day I will be challenged to learn something new. Work is never boring, but it can become very stressful very quickly, with deadlines from both the university and the work which tend to be due around the last weeks of semester.

As soon as I joined my team I was welcomed by everybody. There is a real sense of community within our team, and every time I complete a piece of work my manager ensures that everybody is aware of what I have achieved.

The program involves decisions by both university and work, and so they meet regularly to discuss topics such as future modules and how they can cross over so that what we learn at university is followed up at work. There was also a great onboarding process, in which we have extra support within the first 100 days of work. There were some initial issues with the business module which interlinks with work as this is the first time the module has been run, but the university have taken our feedback, and have been very responsive in ensuring that this will not be an issue going forward.

Initially there was one academic tutor, who was also the advisor for the degree apprentices. This was an issue at first, because when we had issues with the business module, there was only one point of contact at university with regards to giving feedback. This has improved significantly, as we now have multiple tutors, and a different advisor, which has proved useful in that there are more academic stuff involved with the program who we can leverage. However with regards to accomodation, the university claimed that we did not qualify for accomodation on campus and essentially left us to find our own accomodation. This would be a big issue if many of us did not live near to London anyways.

Beyond our immediate team who are all aware of our 'double lives' we also have mentors and buddies. A buddy to help us find our way around the firm when we first start, and two mentors to help us with regards to our career our how we navigate working in a huge company. There is also dedicate support services for all colleagues at GS. There has been an issue around study leave during exam season, but our managers are working with the organisers of the program and the university to ensure we have sufficient time to study for uni exams.

When considering that our university degree is paid for, we get 4 years worth of professional experience in a well established firm and we get a salary, the package is excellent. However the salary would not be enough to live in London, as the cost of renting a flat would consume the entire wage. As a result, many students have to commute from home outside of London.

There is a trade off with this program as it is quite intense. As a result we do not have much free time besides weekends. We have access to all of the societies and clubs at university, but we cannot actually participate in most things because of the time of these events. Work also have sessions and talks by interesting people (politicians, CEO's, sportspeople) which are always great, and provide a wealth of training resources. When I am not at work, I try to relax by going to the gym, or spending weekends with my family and friends.

Yes

This program is stellar in the rewards it offers. Although there are some trade offs such as the full time (5 day) work during the holiday and exam periods, lack of time to engage in the university activities and meet people and stress the benefits outweigh the negatives. A salary for a university student is great, the work experience, lack of debt and the potential opportunity to join the firm permanently after the program are all invaluable.

Think carefully about if this is the right type of university experience for you. There is a lot of hard work involved, and a lot of self discipline and responsibility required in staying on top of things, and although there is a lot of support around this it is essentially down to you to ensure you manage both university and work and your personal life effectively. With regards to the interview process, they are looking to see if you are able to work in this environment, and whether you fit in with our work culture. It's not as scary as it sounds, and in fact my interviews were really fun conversations - just relax and enjoy it!