Full Degree Software Apprentice Review

My role is as a full degree software apprentice. The start of my role included a week of training and up-skilling. Day-to-day i am part of a team that delivers systems and products to customers within the company rather than to an external customer. I have also been given real projects for real customers within my first few months

Before the apprenticeship I had done some work in HTML, CSS and JS but since joining i have had the opportunity to put aside time to work on those languages and develop my skills in them further. I have also learnt how to use a whole new piece of software for my job role.

I really enjoy the programme that i'm on, my work days are very busy and i do have a lot of tasks running at once at times but it means that the working days just fly by. The fact that i'm essentially being paid to go to university for free is also a massive bonus

The apprenticeship is very well structured, the week of training at the start was very helpful, although tiring. I have been well informed of the structure of the company around me and my role in my area so that i can perform my job functions well. The fact that we spend a day at uni and half a day studying during the work week helps to maintain a good learning/working balance.

I have been a bit surprised by the level of support that i have received all round since joining. Everyone is so eager to help us apprentices and are very understanding when things perhaps don't work out because we are so new. My line manager and operation manager have been fantastic to work with and have really helped me settle in.

We receive a lot of support, as i mentioned previously we have a day at uni every week and then we are allowed to work for half a day independently studying for university as well, whenever suits us. If we are struggling we know we can talk to our managers or previous apprentices for help.

It is hard to say at this early stage just how much it has helped me so far, but i can undoubtedly say i will be learning a lot in the next 3 years that will help me with my job role and that will help me perform better as an employee in the long run.

There are lots of events going on here, there is a gym you can go to, a whole host of societies and events you can go to from football to just random networking events. Coupled with all of the events that you can attend through the university there really is no shortage and there is something for everyone.

Yes

As a person as young as me, there is no better opportunity to start earning a decent wage, that will get dramatically better over the 4 years as well as earning a qualification and being guaranteed a job at the end of the 4 years. Especially where i live, there just are so few opportunities that even compare with working at BT.

If you are going for the apprenticeship, remember you need to be a good team player, make sure you know your stuff about BT and the values that we have too. Be personable, don't look at the application process as a competition and particularly don't try and shoot people down at the assessment centre to try and better your chances, it wont. Make sure you're building up the people around you as that's how you make a better name for yourself.