Software Development Apprentice Review

by CGI

Best Apprenticeship Employer

Rating

9.4/10

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

I work on tickets reported by end users to investigate issues, fix bugs and provide support. I also work to implement changes at the request of our client based on specification documents they provide us.

9/10

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

I learnt a lot about web development and database interactions as with a complex database. Before, all of my experience was with very simple databases and I wasn't very well versed in full stack development

10/10

3. To what extent do you enjoy your programme?

Very much so, I've learnt an incredible amount and while there have been times I got stuck and started to get frustrated my colleagues and mentor were always willing to accommodate me and give me assistance.

9/10

4. How well organised/structured is your programme?

Very well organised from application to interview to induction to being on the job, i always knew what came next and what my future career options were and was always well informed and supported.

9/10

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

A lot, they put on almost weekly webinars on anything i could want to learn about along with having an internal online training portal and constant contact with careers development team.

9/10

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

We have monthly catch-ups and any questions i have are always answered timely and any issues are sorted out quickly and politely. In regards to finding resources for learning or revision they have been very valuable and provided quite a bit of support

9/10

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

I gained a much better understanding of baseline knowledge when it comes to web development and the development lifecycle along with different industry terminology and various other pieces of industry knowledge. This allows me to much better communicate with my colleagues and contribute more meaningfully to the team.

10/10

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, before the pandemic it was common for there to be an event or scheme available for anyone to take part in put on by the company through the working together scheme or the Sports and Social club. These events varied from cocktail making classes to climbing gym membership discounts.

10/10

9a. Would you recommend CGI to a friend?

Yes

9b. Why?

I really Enjoy the working conditions and environment and am quite impressed by the effort upper and middle management makes to ensure everyone is in the loop regarding the companies current state and the plans for the future. Also, I believe the compensation package, meaning salary and benefits, to be quite generous and very competitive for my role, with that trend appearing to continue into the potential career paths within the company.

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

If you get to the interview stage do some research on the companies history, most of what you need to know is on the website but a little extra research never hurts. Also, i would recommend looking into popular tech stacks when it comes web development such as MERN, it isn't necessary and you aren't expected to know at the time of the interview but it will give you a significant head start when it comes to the initial training