Digital Degree Apprentice Review

My role as a Degree Apprentice fluctuates often, however we do have stability on a day-to-day basis for at least a few months before eventually changing job roles. On a day-to-day basis you may find yourself spending some time on an IT Service Desk, troubleshooting and learning about complex networks, performing security-related tasks and response to potential breaches, or even working with desktop engineers and going on site visits. My current day-to-day work is different and can fall in to any of the above areas, and there are many opportunities to get involved with projects if you'd like to do so. Provisioning new Wireless Access Points and resolving tickets (either incidents or requests) are a few examples of day-to-day tasks.

There are so many skills to be both learnt and developed. Communication skills and confidence is something that is hugely built upon when end-users have to be contacted, which they do often in many job roles (others not so much). You will, without a doubt, learn new skills. This is because you have the option to move around departments and experience every instance of IT, which my workplace has a lot of different functions. This allows you tie in all the aspects to build a big picture on how it all works together. This is something you cannot know until you experience, even if you have good conceptual knowledge on different technology areas. The reason a 7 was rated is because you may not always have the help you need in busy departments.

The programme is very diverse and grants many opportunities to work in different areas and on differnet projects. A lot of employees are very friendly, and the workplace is a good atmosphere. There are great opportunities to work from home and there are also great flexible working hour opportunities.

The programme is structured well and it feels as though the programme leader of apprenticeships always has a plan in mind for which team and projects they would like to offer you to move to. It feels as though you are looked after well and not forgotten about, however there are times where it feels as though there are problems with executing plans and on boarding apprentices with tasks and permissions to do their job.

We receive an adequate amount of support from our employer. There are chances to go on training courses with Microsoft's official training providers which are very expensive to attend, and are all paid by the organisation. This provides apprentices with great support, and there are also many other apprentices who have been on the degree apprenticeship for many different years. Other apprentices are also more than happy to help if you were to start in your first year, for example.

There is adequate support, however I feel like it is limited due to the amount of time you actually spend attending University, which is one day a week. There is always support over email at times you are not in Univeristy. There is also great support at spaced intervals where a dedicated tutor from University will visit the workplace to ensure everything is going OK in work.

The good thing about the degree apprenticeship is that it is also tailored towards skills in the workplace, which is rare amongst other full-time courses. For example, you have the chance to interact with different apprentices in University class sessions and there are many discussions about team leading. University can actually liaise with your employer to attempt to bring opportunities to lead team meetings etc. There is not a lot of theory I have put into practice, University has a lot of separate synergy with the workplace.

There are many extra-curricular activites to get involved in. There are not many professional networking events, however. The acitivites would more-so be involved with guest speakers, sporting activities, and many professionals who specialise in mental health who would come in for a one-to-one session for free, for example.

Yes

It is a great workplace to start your career, and there are at least 10,000 employees who all need IT services. Due to this, there are a vast amount of technologies within IT that this employer uses, and because of this, the opportunities to move teams and find out exactly what you enjoy the most is easy and accessible. Not only this, but there really is a great salary offered along with the degree being funded for you! Great atmosphere and ethics behind employees.

Tailor your application towards learning, not how much you know. Demonstrate your passion for the subject and show that you understand basic concepts that will then allow you to easily learn without being taught the extreme basics. I would have like to have been told more about the job role and EXACTLY what I would be doing in work and in University before I started, as a 4 year course is something where there is definitely a decision to be careful thought about. If you get the job, make sure everything is clearly defined before you start.