Digital Degree Apprentice Review

I am currently a full-time student at the University of Birmingham studying Computer Science and will be required to work for Vodafone outside of term time. This summer, I will be doing a 10-week placement (from home), working with the data analytics team. Once I finish my second year at university, I will be doing a year-long placement at Vodafone.

Being a student full-time has allowed me to fully immerse myself in my studies, which is something that many other degree apprenticeships don't offer. The course has taught me about programming, artificial intelligence and logic in addition to many other transferable skills, such as how to manage my time effectively and work with others.

The programme is incredibly enjoyable as we get to work on a number of fun projects such as robotics and coding in Java. We also get monthly updates about what is going on at Vodafone and meet with them once a term to monitor our progress. I am very much looking forward to starting my summer placement soon.

Very well structured course with constant communication from Vodafone throughout the year. I still get to attend university full-time unlike many other degree apprenticeships and only have to work outside of term time. This way I do not have to juggle both studying/revision and work at the same time.

There has been plenty of support from Vodafone. We are updated with what's happening in the company via email whilst we are at university and are visited every term by our employer to see how we are getting on and to see if there's anything else they can do to support us.

The University of Birmingham has been extremely supportive to me. Although there has been a slight variation in the quality of lecturers I've had, there has always been someone available to talk to if I need any further help with my studies and even things like general well-being and mental health.

The course I'm studying has provided the foundations of computer science, many areas we have learnt about are relevant to what Vodafone does. In addition to this, attending university has helped grow my confidence - especially when speaking to new people. This has proved invaluable during my work placement as I am constantly speaking to different members of the team.

During term-time, there is a myriad of societies and clubs at university to join that suit a very wide range of interests. When working at Vodafone however, there are many events that take place, such as the Vodafone family fun day, table tennis tournaments, pub quizzes and even baking competitions.

Yes

Vodafone are a fantastic employer and I have been treated very well so far. They have great staff benefits and discounts, competitive salaries and give plenty of opportunities for personal development. There are plenty of people within the company you can contact if you ever have any problems and are always there to support you.

When applying to Vodafone, keep in mind that they are more than just a telecommunications company and are investing heavily in technology from Internet of Things to Artificial Intelligence. Do some research into future technologies and have a think about what Vodafone might want to be part of in the near future.