At Shepherds Friendly, we have multiple routes to work, including starting your career with us as an apprentice. For National Apprenticeship Week, we spoke with George, a member of our IT Development team, who joined us as an apprentice. We asked him about his experience working with Shepherds Friendly, and here’s what he shared with us:
“Hello, my name is George and I work as a Software Developer on the IT Development team at Shepherds Friendly. I’ve been working here for five years now.
“I chose an apprenticeship with Shepherds Friendly because I wanted to apply the skills I’d developed at school while gaining professional experience on a development team and dealing with real-life business scenarios and situations. The fact that I could also get an apprenticeship qualification made it even more appealing. I could surround myself with those who had years of industry knowledge and experience, and I was able to learn a lot from them. Plus, as I didn’t go down the university route, I’ve started my career without any student debt.
“Each apprenticeship is different, but for me it’s mainly based on coursework and dissertations with a few exams. I spend 20% of my time on the job completing these assessments and learning new skills. The rest of the time, I can work on various on-the-job projects to apply everything I have learned. At Shepherds Friendly, I can tap into the wealth of knowledge on my team to further my skills.
“I have achieved a Level 4 Software Engineer apprenticeship, which took 18 months, and now I am working on my BSc in Digital & Technology Solutions, which is a three-year programme. After I finish, I’m looking forward to continuing my development as a Software Developer at Shepherds Friendly.
“If anyone is looking to become an apprentice, I would highly recommend it. Choose an apprenticeship in a field you’re interested in and take in as much knowledge and experience as you can. It’s helped me build my confidence in software development and I enjoy collaborating with my colleagues and sharing in the experience of the team. I’ve gained a lot of knowledge that I don’t think I would have picked up with a university degree, and I’m looking forward to what lies ahead for me at Shepherds Friendly.”
As an organisation, we’re always open to hiring talented and hardworking individuals who are willing to learn and develop. We’re committed to helping our people progress in their careers. If you’re interested in working with us, you can find out more about upcoming opportunities, and the culture at Shepherds Friendly on our Careers webpage.
