Technology Degree Apprentice Review

Currently we are completing our degree course at the University of Birmingham. However over the summer we will be working in the office for 3 months within one of the technology related teams. We will also have this arrangement in second year while in third year we will be with them for the whole year.

Over the course of my degree I have developed many skills including: coding, maths, business finance & organisation knowledge, artificial intelligence, logistic thinking. In addition to this my understanding of the company and it's specialisms has significantly developed and I can't wait to develop my skills over the placement.

I very much enjoying my degree programme currently, while the lecturers vary I still gain a significant understanding from them. This in addition to the friends I have made the extracurricular opportunities has had led to me having a very fun and interesting year. I am looking forward to starting the placement section of the programme soon.

The programme is reasonably well organised by the company, the university sometimes has some organisation issues however they are very minimal and resolved within a reasonable amount of time. The company are providing interesting talks to allow us to explore the technology work areas and involving us with some office events.

I receive a good amount of support from the employer with checkups every term from the manager. Additionally we have been assigned a mentor within the office to allow to us to settle in more easily, I believe this will be even more helpful when we are working at the office over the summer.

There is a lot of support on hand at the University. This is in the form of a personal tutor, departmental welfare tutor and additional support if required. The general attitude towards support is positive and it feels accessible. Catch up sessions with my personal tutor are enjoyable & informative. So far I have had a positive experience of support.

I feel that my qualification should come in use when on the working element of the degree apprenticeship. Modules such as 'Programming in Java, Business organisation & management and Finance' I believe will be crucial in allowing us to get the most of the working experience as they have given us an foundation in key elements of the job.

There are many extra-curricular activities within the University element of the Degree Apprenticeship. I'm currently involved in a fair few of activities which have broadened my horizons, provided a good work-life balance and allowed me to get to know more people at the University. Additionally I believe there are extra-curricular opportunities at the place of work which we can get involved in once our placement starts.

Yes

They provide a very positive and engaging programme, giving the individual personal development with the addition of very good benefits. They also seem to be a flexible firm who places mental health and the individual first. Additionally they provide a competitive course and extra-ordinary extra-curricular opportunities such as an inspiring talk from Rebecca Adlington!

I would say to be truthful and open through the application process allowing PwC to determine whether they have a suitable role for you and for you to gauge whether it is the right place for you. Try to get involved with extra-curricular opportunities that come about so that you have more to support yourself with during the application process.