Software Developer Review

On a daily basis as an apprentice, it entails spending 9-5:30 on a client. Tasks such as software development, data engineering and data science is performed on real life client data to solve real client problems. Then post office hours, it is spent on the degree apprenticeship tasks such as webinars, tutorials and lectures.

A huge facet of skills learnt, or at least put my foot in the door in. Skills such as • Python - Automation/Data Science • Data Engineering – Data Manipulation, Management and Automation • Software Engineering – Unit Testing, Version Control, Code Reviews • Data Science Platforms – Dataiku • REST APIs – Social and Search APIs • SQL For Accessing and Processing Data • Front End Technologies - HTML, CSS and Javascript • Industry Experience in FMCG • Project Delivery • Cloud Platforms - GCP • Basic AI techniques - Machine Learning, NLP etc. • Android Development

The programme itself is absolutely the best option available out there for those not wanting to take the traditional university route, although you will have to sacrifice much more time than a traditional student. The programme itself is enjoyable, but this is based on your expectations - I enjoy it as I have expected myself to give up my free time for 4/5 years.

The programme itself provided by the training provider is very structured, in that you get the same access to data as a typical student will do. On the business side of things, it is much less structured, there is often no communication, little support, but the expectation to do everything yourself - when the business gets paid to do it. Granted the business have been trying to improve over the years, but it is too late for me to reap its benefits, given I am in the latter years of the programme

This is dependent on everyone's personal experience. There are some managers who will support you throughout, and guide you through your problems, yet there are some managers who won't care. The answer to question 4 relates to the specific function dedicated to the degree programme who are not very helpful at this moment in time.

Training provider provides very good resources for working toward qualifications. Some modules provide too much information - an issue given that an apprentice has a 9-5 work commitment as well. Also sometimes, they do fail to understand that every student learns differently - I.e. some learn by marking their own mock papers, yet certain modules refuses to provide such mark schemes. Also see answer to question 4.

This needs to be researched further by the business and training provider alike. Dependent on what role you are in, the uni modules may or may not be supplementary. For example, I am not a web developer at work, yet a lot of modules over the years have been based on web development. Although saying this, the theories we have learnt are applicable, even if the practical work may not be.

There probably is, but given that a typical apprentice has a ton of work to get through - the majority of it being outside work hours - it is unfeasible for a student to be able to get involved with extra curricular activities at work. Also given covid-19,such activities have been put on hold.

Yes

Capgemini provides a very lucrative degree apprenticeship programme, perfect for college leavers to officially begin their corporate career. They provide payment for other certifications an individual may want to undertake. They pay for travel to training provider locations Also, they have other employee benefits too. All in all, I would recommend Capgemini immensely, if you can prepare for the fact that you won't get too much support on your programme. But then again, they are trying to improve this.

To apply for Capgemini for the degree apprenticeship, structure your interview answers in the following format, as it helps a lot (and it did for me): P - point E - evidence E - explanation F - feelings Also, bring evidence of extra curricular activity you have performed in your own time which you feel will be relevant to Capgemini. For example: building a website, certifying in a programming language etc.