GLA developer Review

My role changes from project to project but generally we get given quite a lot of responsibility on the job. I am expected to do a lot of self-learning, especially when I move onto a new project with new tech that I have not experienced yet. The emphasis is also on learning more than working which is a really good point as being apprentices, that is our main goal - to learn.

I have learned numerous new skills since joining. There was a huge difference between learning on my own and learning from within a company. There are lots of small and seemingly unimportant parts such as testing and refactoring that I glossed over but learned the importance at work. I also learned how to merge different tech stacks together and most importantly, improved greatly on my people skills as I have plenty of opportunity to give presentations and talks if I want to.

I think the programme is a very good concept and I do enjoy it but it can be difficult at times as you are constantly trying to juggle between work and university and on top of that, try to stay eager to learn new things. This plays a big factor as it could build up over time and cause stress but if you are vocal about your problems, I find that the company and uni have been fairly helpful. I also enjoy working with different people and with this programme I have lots of networking opportunities that I wouldn't have had.

I personally think I feel valued by CGI but I think it depends from people to people. I think they may be expecting a bit too much from apprentices as they always encourage us to learn new tech and do fun projects on our own and show we are eager but it is very difficult with work and uni. I do think they really respect us though and genuinely give us a lot of freedom which is great.

I think that I am one of the first GLA and so the programme was still in testing and so there were some times where it was not well organised. I had to sit trimester C classes first which didn't really make sense but there wasn't much we could do. I also started work in Jan but did not go to uni until around May - and it would have been Sept if we did not agree to sit trimester C first. Also I feel work and uni could be more connected as although we are learning a lot at work, it doesn't always tie in to uni work.

I think I get decent support from the university but of course this depends on the lecturer. The maths lecturer has been amazing and I can tell he is very enthusiastic about maths. Most lecturers will respond to my emails within a few days and are always willing to make up time for questions. There are also lots of facilities such as the learning development centre if additional help is needed.

Support for the project I am on at work is great, they give us a lot of time to learn and point us in the right direction on what to learn. There are also many workshops and seniors that give up their time to help share knowledge. Support from work to help with university material has been a bit weak though, but I personally don't struggle with it much so haven't need to ask for help too much in this regards.

I feel that the salary could be a bit higher and sometimes I feel it might even restrict promotion at work due to the programme. It was unclear on how promotion and salary would work on the GLA programme but for young people who have just left school, this is a great deal.

There are many workshops and training courses outside of work that we can apply to anytime as long as we can justify it. I have recently just went to Edinburgh for Java training course which was great help. Lots of conferences are open for us to join too if we wish to.

Yes

It is a great learning opportunity and you get a degree at the end of it. It is a difficult journey but it is one of the best ways to make use of 4 years of your life. Not only do you come out with a degree, but also 4 years work experience with a good company but you also get paid, along with all the benefits that the company offers.

Understand what you are getting yourself into, be eager to learn and be able to work hard under tight schedules. Be good at balancing work and university. The best advice is also to just join in as many activities and events as possible and build up your people skills as that is invaluable in any job.