Apprentice Software Developer Review

My current role is on a project called ARE. It involves doing a stand up every morning, looking at training that is related to the project, attempting to fix defects that occur. I also attend university one day a week on a Friday where I learn about subjects that are supposed to be related to my current work which doesn't often seem to be the case.

I have attended the Java OCA training at QA based in Edinburgh which CGI generously offered to me and learned about the fundamentals of Java programming. I found this very useful at the time as it was very related to the project work I was currently on. A lot of other skills are developed through self learning and university though.

At the beginning of the programme I was very eager to learn all about CGI and the projects that they do. My eagerness to learn has slowly died out though as I have been on the same project for nearly over a year which makes it incredibly monotonous and I find it difficult sometimes to find the motivation to do uni work and CGI work.

Considering we have been left on the same project for such a long time, we have been told countless times we will be rotated off the project and on to something new which hasn't happened as of yet. It leaves me feeling undervalued but I try not to let it affect me and my work.

Very unorganised. On both behalves of the university and CGI it was very unorganised at the beginning. We were thrown into the last trimester of 1st year at university which meant we had to do our end of year project as our first task just as we had started the programme which (luckily) we barely passed. We were told as well at the beginning of this by CGI that we were "guinea pigs" for this programme which did not encourage me at all as I felt that this should have been well organised well before we even joined CGI.

As I am on the GLA programme, I am not allocated any training provider other than the university or if I am allowed to attend QA training courses.

I have been allocated a career mentor recently but I feel that this should have been implemented a lot sooner. As I joined CGI in early 2017, my career mentor at the time left the company and I was not allocated a new one until late 2017 but my current mentor is very helpful and very supportive.

The salary for my position I feel is generous, it's definitely competitive compared to other apprenticeship positions. Travel can be expensed if I need to travel to Edinburgh which is a long journey for me which I find very useful.

CGI has a social club who organise several events outside of the workplace which can be great fun. I even participated in a charity event with friends from work and had a great time with them.

No

I feel that due to the poor experience I have had at the beginning of this programme and throughout, I would not recommend a friend. CGI has it's perks outside of the job and great benefits but at this point I am mainly trying to focus towards getting my degree as I do not find encouragement in the work that I am doing.

Brush up on your business knowledge as you need a lot of it in the workplace no matter what project you are on. I came from a games development background and had no business knowledge whatsoever and that greatly impacted me as I began working on the project I am currently still on now.