Level 6 Software Engineer Apprentice Review

by Vodafone

Best Apprenticeship Employer

Rating

7.9/10

1. Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:

Working in a scrum team developing new features and bugfixs as well as my own learning. also being in a daily meeting discussing the potential solutions and risks to the site. And as apart of the larger company doing conferences to get a picture of what is being done in other teams.

9/10

2. Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?

Yes new programming languages in OOP and front end, I have learnt SQL, HTML, CSS, JS, React and improved my skills in Java, and wider business knowledge in how the team functions and the roles of other teams play into our development team. I have also improved my public speaking,

8/10

3. To what extent do you enjoy your programme?

At time can be challenging when there is a deadline for a release so that can but on stress but I am independent and am learning a lot and I enjoy being part of a team where they are happy to share their knowledge and skills and go out of their way to help

9/10

4. How well organised/structured is your programme?

I started on the Level 4 which went slightly over the 24 months it was due to last, that was due to the training provider and the training weeks were ok, other wise they always look to try and improve themselves, and support you if you have any queries of the program

8/10

5. How much support do you receive from your employer?

I feel confident I can talk to them about anything if I am struggling or need assistance on anything or any tools or equipment I might need to do my job more easily I also I plenty of time to work on my own learning and they actively try to improve themselves with surveys. I can take time to learn and have plenty of material and opportunity

9/10

6. How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?

Not as much as I would have liked, out training weeks were all at the start of the program which was good to get me to a higher skill level but there was a period in the middle where it didn't feel like they were there at all and I wasn't progressing

5/10

7. How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?

Not as useful, some parts of it are applicable but the tutors weren't consistent in there training methods and some of the training was irrelevant to anything i would be likely to do in my role anytime soon. Some of the courses were actually applicable and useful so it was 50/50

5/10

8. Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)

Yes a lot of social activity's organized within the teams however within lockdown this was not applicable, there we lots of small groups with sports such as basket ball and football on and offsite and large company events with conferences so that you can network with the wider company

10/10

9a. Would you recommend Vodafone to a friend?

Yes

9b. Why?

I like being apart of the company as I feel my needs are being met and they have the benefits of a larger company with nice offices and access to any tools I might need, the push for diversity and acceptance is very good within and it feels like the most accepting company

10. What tips or advice would you give to others applying to Vodafone?

Your approach to situations is important, have an always learning mindset when faced with different scenarios. They are less focused on the skills you have but want to see if you can works well as apart of a team and have a good social understanding of how to deal with different people