DTS - Software Review

Working alongside my team to develop new software. As the projects progress, the nature of my role changes to match the stage of the project we are currently in. Days always start with going through emails and will usually involve at least one meeting at some point, but beyond that the role tends to vary significantly from day to day.

I am currently working on professional registration with a mentor provided by a scheme within the company. I also spent the first 3 months of the course solidly at the university studying three modules (focussed on programming, maths and soft skills), which gave me a strong foundation when I started full time at the company.

It's a lot of work (generally you get as much work as you are willing to do), but it's engaging work that is actually meaningful and directly contributes to the business. You're not going to get given some pointless task just to keep you busy and quiet.

This is the first year of the programme so the communication, especially between the university and the company, hasn't been great, and many managers seem to not know the scheme very well. However I imagine this will improve as the programme matures and issues are identified and fixed, as well as people knowing each other better.

The company is very supportive, with time set aside for studying while working at the company, and everyone is aware that you are an apprentice there to be challenged but not overwhelmed. As an employee you are also eligible for the Learning Scheme, where the company will pay for you to learn a new skill.

The university is good with providing support, including assigning you an apprentice tutor with check ups every 6 weeks to make sure you are progressing well and to help with any issues that arise (they also handle pastoral problems). The first three months of the programme are spent at the university followed by 3 months with the company, and then every 5th week thereafter is spent with the university.

The qualification gives me the skills I need to be an effective software developer. While I came to the role with a small background in coding, the qualification has already broadened my understanding, introducing me to new languages and new concepts, as well as explaining some of the logic behind certain conventions.

I believe there are extra-curricular activities linked with the company, however I have chosen instead to pursue the clubs and societies linked with the university as we also have full access to these and there is a much wider variety of activities on offer through the university than the company could provide.

Yes

Decent scheme, good pay and some really good experience. However, be prepared to work hard as if you are involved in actual production work they will still expect production standard of you, and you need to meet the deadlines set in those cases as delays are costly o the company.

Don't worry too much about learning the history of the company or if you don't have any experience with coding. For the apprentice scheme they are far more interested in your qualities (hard working, problem solving etc) than your qualifications. Keep this in mind if you get an assessment day. They're not looking so much at what you do but how you do it