Digital and Technology Solutions Degree Apprentice Review

I go to uni on mondays and the rest of the week I am working as a tester/developer on a project. On a day to day basis I would be attending a meeting in the morning, where everyone on my team and myself gives and update on our progress. I would then check tasks that I have been assigned, normally tests to create test cases for and then carry out. This would then involve running the program I am testing and raising bugs.

Yes. I have learnt about programming languages such as, angular js, java, html, css, javascript, how to test programs, work with off shore testers, devops, attended training courses at qa on how to use microsoft excel, powerpoint and word effectively. I have developed soft skills particularly in communication, teamwork. I also have had a chance to practice just simple skills such as writing emails, applying for new projects and not being afraid to ask questions when I do not understand something.

I would say I think I really enjoy the program I am on. I have opportunities to go on external training courses that I am specifically interested in and meet new people. Accenture is a very 'people' focused company, everyone is very friendly and helpful and I have made a lot of new friends. There are so many opportunities for networking and learning in all kinds of areas that you don't have to already be specifically involved in which I really enjoy. I also really like having the uni course alongside working in a real world environment. Attending uni every monday gives a nice consistency and time to think about my studies.

My program as a whole is very well organised and structured. Sometimes at uni the exam timetable is released a quite late or coursework deadlines can be a little vague but over all we know what is happening in time. The programme seems very clearly laid out over all, we can see on moodle what modules we are doing and resources. Our first induction weeks were a little hectic, we were often emailed locations of where we needed to be just a day before but other than that everything was very well organised and the structure of this training was good.

I have been assigned an Accenture buddy, career counsiler, talent fulfilment specialist and hr adviser. These are all people I can reach out to for help. Certain people in the company have also emphasized the importance of remembering to focus on uni work as well as company work which is a really good reminder and motivator. Joining in a start group of other apprentices at my level also means that I have a large group of peers to turn to and ask any quick questions.

I think we receive a good amount of support from the training provider. All the lecturers are very willing to answer questions and stay behind if we need any extra help with our work. We were told in the beginning, emails and who we can reach out to for what. I think the lecturers seem to genuinely care about our learning and how to help us to understand the content and what we need to know for our exams and coursework specifically.

Different roles require different skills. In the future if i were to apply to a role that needs java programming knowledge then my learning at uni would be very useful. There are some units such as business organisations that may not help me perform better on a day to day basis in my role but definitely helps me understand how the business may function as a whole etc.. The qualification supplements knowledge and skills that are learnt at work. Our main module at the moment is networking and computer architecture, I have seen roles that cover this area but have not yet worked in one.

Yes, there are sports clubs, I got involved in the netball at work. There are also lots of professional networking events to go to and listen to peoples experiences then talk to people there. The hr team are also often reaching out to find people to speak to who are considering applying to an apprenticeship which can be fun. There have also been socials held at fun venues, such as ice skating and the main christmas party around december which are really nice to get to know people on a more personal level.

Yes

Because I think it is a nice company to work at if you are interested in technology you will meet lots of like minded people that you can learn a lot from. I have found the whole culture at accenture to be very welcoming and think that it is a really good opportunity to learn about and work with the most up to date, high end technology at the moment seeing as it is such a large company. There is also a big variety of projects, roles and clients so I think I will have gained a very broad background by the end of the apprenticeship.

I would advise people to remember that the interviewer wants them to do well in the interview and is just there to find out a bit more about them. To make sure that if you are applying you are passionate about technology, motivate and very eager to learn everything accenture has to offer. When applying you need to emphasize your current skills and times that you have used them. I would advise someone to really not worry about what skills and experience they may be lacking because most importantly accenture want someone keen to gain skills and experience from them - not necessarily already have it.