CloudOps Engineer Degree Apprentice Review

I attend meetings and complete a range of developmental and operational work. Each day brings new things to learn as I continuously work on different projects. I have a wide variety of responsibilities including assisting with the induction of others into my team, while still managing my own job role. I have a variety of different interactions on a daily basis with a range of different people and roles within the company.

I have developed my programming skills and learnt relevant skills associated with different cloud providers and overall cloud development techniques. I also learn relevant professional skills through mandatory training. Additionally, I have been able to develop my soft skills within presenting and working in an office environment. The qualification side of the apprenticeship has provided me with a range of skills applicable to my role, alongside other skills that I may be able to explore within the future or apply indirectly (like learning java as a programming language).

I enjoy the programme and work a lot! The company culture is excellent and has a very supportive nature. It meets my expectations, if not exceeds what I had anticipated within the apprenticeship. My team are very supportive and keen to assist my progression wherever possible. I feel I am able to direct my own career sufficiently and able to explore different pathways that are suitable for me, making the experience more enjoyable as a whole.

The programme is well structured, it offers ample studying time and support where needed. I do feel the induction and transition wasn't as well structured and I didn't initially understand my placement within the company as I was moved to a new team without being aware of this prior to starting. Since the induction the structure has improved and I now feel more comfortable within my role. On a daily basis the structure is excellent as I am clear on the tasks I should complete and understand the team hierarchy for who I should raise any issues or pose questions to.

I feel that I receive a good amount of support from my employer, in particular my team are able to offer me direction and assistance when I am facing challenges. My manager is very supportive and has regular catch ups to ensure I am comfortable with my work load and have a place to pose any queries. I think that my wider team has a positive attitude to supporting me through my apprenticeship.

I have received good support through members of the training provider. My skills coach in particular has been very helpful in supporting me and being able to answer any relevant questions to the qualifications I have had. I feel the tutors are also supportive if help has been needed and they have been approached for any reason, particularly within the programming module. I feel there is ample support and accessibility of support for any occasion on which it is needed.

Overall I feel there are elements of cross over within the apprenticeship and qualification, however there are also elements that have not been particularly useful to my course at this stage. I have been able to use overall programming skills and apply business knowledge within my daily role however, a direct application of some of the learning has not been possible - for example I have studied java within the programming module, a language of which at present is not used within my role. I do feel that the information taught through the apprenticeship provider can be abstractly useful if looking at the skills learnt as opposed to the language/information directly. I have also been able to understand more about business strategy through the apprenticeship which I have been able to apply while working within the company. Although, throughout the apprenticeship I am yet to learn any skills directly related to the cloud sector.

I have been involved and will continue to be involved in different voluntary initiatives within the company that can help people give back to and support their local community. There are many different company events and activities which are optional attendance and allow connection and re-connection within teams, and let individuals to meet a range of others in new sectors. In order to support charities there are often different events hosted like murder mystery events (outside of work hours) to connect with colleagues while supporting a good cause. In addition, there are different sporting activities, like a football team and 5-a-side competitions, which will allow people to socialise outside of an office environment.

Yes

I feel that the company has a great culture. There is lots of support and KPMG wants the best for the employees. There are a range of different opportunities and positive initiatives to be able to get involved in, progressing both your career and enhancing your own personal development. KPMG allows room for growth and encourages a positive learning environment to develop knowledge and skills.

It's important to know that you don't have to know everything when you start out, asking questions and being honest about being unsure in order to grow your own knowledge is important and highly encouraged. No one will expect you to be an expert when you start out, as most people have been in a similar situation/position as you before, they know what it's like - don't be afraid to ask, it's the best way to learn. Also, be yourself!