Degree Apprentice Review

My role requires me to attend the University of Birmingham in order to expand my knowledge in Computer Science and digital technology, as well as to develop my understanding of business by doing a Business and Finance widening horizons module. This knowledge would then be useful during the summer internship when working on projects, incorporating what I have learnt in order to complete the given tasks.

Although I have been an apprentice for less than a year, the number of skills I have developed so far are enormous. One of the skills I have devolved is the skill to problem solve, as computer science is full of problems where one is required to find solutions for, and being on this course has allowed me to understand how to break down problems into smaller, more manageable ones, and to slowly build upon the solution to find the desired outcome. As well as this, I have learnt how to program and write code in order to achieve the set objective, as well as learning how to communicate in a professional environment, a skill developed as a result of the numerous networking events held at the PwC office.

I really enjoy the program, the tasks set have always had the enjoyment of the students in mind. I have learnt so much being a degree apprentice, and have made a lot of close friends because of the program. The support given is enormous, any issues or queries we have are always addressed and we have a wide range of people we can talk to, ranging from buddies, to lectures, to colleagues etc. The company culture is diverse and always promotes inclusivity, never allowing anyone to feel out of place.

The program is very well structured and we were made aware of what the course required of us as we were given an induction during the assessment center and during our first day of the course. The support we are given is immense, and have buddies we can talk to if we have any queries. We have regular meetings with our tutors and recruitment manager, allowing us to discuss our progress and any questions we may have.

I receive a lot of support from my employer, and have a wide range of people I can talk to if I have any queries. This includes my buddy who is an employee of PwC, my tutor who is a lecturer at the university of Birmingham, and my recruitment manager who I have regular meetings with in order to discuss my progress and ask any questions I might have about the course.

I receive a lot of support from my training provider when working towards my qualification as I have regular meetings to discuss my progress and highlight any additional support I may need. Having this meeting with my recruitment manager and having my tutor who is a lecturer at the university present at those meetings is useful as my lecturer can provide advice and the necessary steps I can take in order to better understand the content.

My qualification through my training provider helps me to perform better in my role as it allows my understanding of the business and finance world increase, allowing me to incorporate my learning into my work. As well this, through learning problem solving skills as well as how to write programs in order to meet a desired outcome is useful as it allows me to be able to use my technical capabilities during my summer internship.

We have a lot of networking events held by PwC in the Birmingham office, which includes attending pizza parties where we can meet and integrate with our buddies and colleagues. We also have champions and wellbeing networks, allowing us to learn about others and their journey, inspiring us to do well and aim for the best.

Yes

I would definitely recommend PwC to a friend and have already recommended it to a lot of people. One of the best things about PwC is the values of the company, about how they promote diversity and encourage inclusivity, making it a nice work environment for employees as they feel as though they belong. And on top of that, the support given by the company is immense and would always mean any queries employees have would always be resolved.

If I was to give advice to others I would definitely recommend reading about the competencies of PwC before applying, so they are able to understand the values of the company and what they represent. This would be useful during the interview process as you would be able to incorporate within your answers how the company's values correspond with yours, and use the past experience you have in order to demonstrate you have such a skill or quality.