Hi, I am Grace and I am doing the Digital Technology Solutions degree apprenticeship in Software. Currently, I am doing a rotation in Automation which involves creating processes for different teams to automate a manual process and help save time and resources that can be distributed to other team priorities.
Tell us who you are and what you do
Why did you choose to do an apprenticeship?
Before joining the scheme, I had worked as a hairdresser and initially wanted to do salon marketing, which got me interested in website design. I then started a degree and was in my first year of doing the BSc Software Engineering at the University of Suffolk, where I met some BT apprentices who were doing the networking degree scheme, and they told me how much they enjoyed it; they get to work in different rotations, have dedicated study time and also have support from other apprentices on the scheme. I applied for the scheme that day because of what the apprentices had said, although I was not expecting to be accepted as I was currently studying. However, after the assessment day I was given positive news that I would be joining!
What interested you in the Digital Technology Solutions scheme?
I was interested in the scheme as I wanted to gain experience for my future career and found that the different rotations and skills that I would learn would benefit me. Finishing university with reduced fees was also a benefit that interested me in the scheme as BT fund the degree part, which makes studying a lot easier without the stress of having to finance it myself.
What’s your favourite project you’ve worked on?
My favourite project I’ve worked on so far is the newsletter that we send to our area every week. The other apprentices and I collect articles from different teams and format these into an email which is sent to over 1000 people. It is nice because we get to talk to people who we wouldn’t usually talk to and it has useful information that we can use, and it is our work that is displayed to so many people.
What’s it like working at Adastral Park?
Working at Adastral Park before COVID was great. The building I worked in is an open planned office where we sit with our teams and we also get to meet other teams a lot. Usually on break, the other apprentices in my year and I will go to the Hub and catch up on how our day is going and what we’ve worked on. The first time I went to Adastral Park I hadn’t seen the site before and was amazed at how it was, especially that it also has a modern looking phone box that we can make calls from.
What would you say to someone who’s in the process of looking at apprenticeship schemes?
I would definitely recommend the apprenticeship scheme and would say to anyone looking into it to apply for it. In the 18 months I have been an apprentice I have enjoyed the scheme a lot, especially in terms of learning and support.
