We’re so pleased to welcome two new degree apprentices to the EPIX team: Madi and Pat.
Both have just started the Digital and Technology Solutions Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship at Manchester Metropolitan University – they spend four days of the week with us, and one day at university studying.
This is the fifth year EPIX has been part of the Degree Apprenticeships Scheme and we are big fans. As you may have read, our first apprentice, Zahir, graduated in May and has accepted a permanent position with us. Jess and James are in years three and four of their degrees, with James due to graduate next year.
“Degree Apprenticeships work so well for us and our apprentices,” explains Mike Earl, EPIX’s Managing Director. “Not only do the apprentices get their degrees fully funded but they also get a salary and work experience too.”
“It’s really exciting,” comments Madi. “I knew full-time university just wasn’t for me, but I wanted to continue developing, so the opportunity to blend university learning with practical work experience is the perfect mix for me. I found out about the role at EPIX by attending a Degree Apprenticeship Open Evening at Manchester Met, and was really swayed by their enthusiasm for their work and the company.”
“Same for me,” says Pat, who joined the team following a successful period of work experience during his A-levels. “I knew from my sister Jess’s positive experience of degree apprenticeships that this was the route I wanted to follow. After interviewing with a couple of other big companies, I decided that, like my sister, EPIX was the place I wanted to be – the opportunity to work alongside and learn from such an experienced team was a big draw.”
With only a couple of weeks under their belts it’s early days for Madi and Pat – but Jess and James have a few more years of experience. James comments that “Working for a small company like EPIX, you see the fruits of your labour much faster – by the end of my first week they’d evaluated my skills and given me small but meaningful work tasks where I could see the impact that I was making. This is what attracted me both to degree apprenticeships and to working for an SME – at EPIX, we’re team members, not just apprentices!”
Jess adds, “Working at EPIX has allowed me to gain skills I don’t think I would have picked up in a larger organisation – the way we work means I get to learn a variety of skills and tasks, and am given a level of independence that really helps me to grow in confidence as a developer.”
James agrees, adding that “The support from University has been incredible – my Skills Coach meets with me regularly, and really listens to me and helps me to evaluate where I’m at, and where I want to be, to set meaningful targets for my growth. There’s a symbiotic relationship between work and university – the skills I’m gaining at work allow me to support my peers in the classroom and bring real-world experience to my assignment work, and I’m also able to bring best practices learned at university back to my work here at EPIX.”
“Degree Apprenticeships have been a real bonus for us,” explains Ian Mellor, EPIX’s Technical Director. ‘We have over 100 applicants for each place, which means we get first pick of the brightest people, many of whom already have a history of coding. The value apprentices add to our business is immense – they are coding with us from week one, choosing tasks from our weekly sprint meetings and delivering straight away. Our latest release to customers included coding that Madi produced within a week of starting. And that’s one of the huge benefits the apprentices get – seeing their work go live and adding real value to our customers’ businesses.”
“The scheme really does feel like a win-win,” agrees Mike. “I thoroughly recommend Degree Apprenticeships as a way to bring new talent into organisations. We will be recruiting more apprentices next year so if you, or anyone you know, is interested, pop along to the Degree Apprenticeship Open Evening at Manchester Met this November, and see what we have to offer.”
The Degree Apprenticeship Open Evening takes place at Manchester Metropolitan University on Thursday 24 November, 5pm – 7.30pm.
To find out more about Degree Apprenticeships visit gov.uk/government/publications/higher-and-degree-apprenticeships
To find out more about Degree Apprenticeships at Manchester Metropolitan University visit https://www.mmu.ac.uk/study/apprenticeships
More about EPIX can be found at epixsystems.co.uk
