Software Engineering Degree Apprentice Review

I am a degree software apprentice. On a day-to-day basis, I am involved with a proper software engineering team helping to put together and fix differnet types of softwre. I have also been involved in the testing process. I have the same responsibilities as any of the other engineers on the team, so I feel like a valued member of it.

Before I started, I had very little experience with IT and software. Therefore, everything I know now was learnt whilst on the job. I've learnt a lot of programming, but I've also learnt how to work well as part of a team, how to communicate effectively, and how to organise and prioritise work.

The programme is hard work, but is still enjoyable. It can get a little stressful at times which may put a dappener on things, but in general it's a good experience. Everyone here is really nice and they have helped me to settle in and get used to the work load. The work is intereseting and i have learnt a lot from it.

Yes. Working as part of a real team on real tasks does make me feel valued. I am given real bugs to fix and tasks to complete, I'm not just there to make the tea. I know that I can be relied upon to complete certain tasks, and I feel like the other memebers of staff respect my input.

This is where the scheme falls down. As it's a very new scheme, there are a lot of things that still need to be worked out e.g. university plans and funding for later years. Whilst these things are improving, it's taking a long time to do so and the changes are only being reflected upon the later years. The idea behind the scheme is good, and the rotation of projects every 6 months is fairly well managed, but overall, I would say organisation is an issue.

College could be better. In terms of support, I feel that it would be easy to go up to a lecturer and ask for it - they're nice enough. However, the course and the lectures and the assignments are poor and stressful e.g. all of our assignment deadlines in the first few months got pushed back, so now we have loads of deadlines within the space of a few weeks - not good.

A lot. Work is a great place to get help. All of the employees are very experienced so will help with work if need be. There's plenty of safeguarding officers in place if we need help, and members of councils that will fight out case if we need them to. We're always being reminded that there is a large support network in place, and I feel that that is true.

I feel like I do get paid a lot for the job I do, especially being an apprentice. I rent a house with my partner, own a car, have enough to spend on luxuries like a new phone, and can easily save up enough for a holiday. For someone of my age, I am very well off as a result of this apprenticeship, so really can't complain about the wage.

Loads. We take part in a lot of careers fairs to help propmote the scheme, and go to a lot of schools to talk about the company. We also got to go to Yeovilton Air Day to help out there which was fun. As a group of apprentices, we've also organised a lot of things outside of work such as paintballing and go-karting.

Yes

It's a good oppurtunity to gain experience in the work place, whilst earning your degree and Level 4 Diploma. Everyone here is really nice and you will learn a lot. Plus, being paid to get your degree is far better than getting into debt. I feel like a valued member of the team, and this has given me a lot of confidence that I can rely upon in the future.

You wil have to step out of your comfort zone at the assessment centre (e.g. do a presentation/interview/group task), but it's worth it, and you'll gain so much experience after that you'll look back and think it was a breeze. Make sure that you show you're a team player, and that you can respect the views and opinions of others. It's not all about your technical skills, so don't rely soley on them.