We’re a big believer in, and supporter of, the Degree Apprenticeships Scheme and we’re currently on the look out for our seventh apprentice. The scheme allows undergraduates to work with an employer like us while they study – meaning they get a salary, work experience, a degree, no student debt and a potential job at the end. What’s not to love about that?!
Zahir, our first degree apprentice, graduated in 2022 and found many benefits to studying and working: ‘I really enjoyed my time on my degree and combining it with working at EPIX allowed me to quickly learn how to approach programming problems from a professional viewpoint. It helped me understand more complex issues than just those at university. I believe working at EPIX prepared me more fully for the future by allowing me to develop the skills that employers want.’
Zahir set the bar high and made a huge difference to us as a company. As Ian Mellor, Technical Director, explains: ‘We really enjoyed having Zahir join the team in 2019 and could quickly see the benefits he brought. As a result, James and Jess joined us in 2020 and 2021, and Madi and Patrick joined us in 2022. Ella joined us this year, not as an apprentice programmer like the others, but as an apprentice manager. It’s great to have young and enthusiastic people working with us and it’s fantastic to be able to help them at the start of their careers. We love the energy and commitment that each of them brings, and we’re excited to be looking for a new apprentice to join us in 2024.’
James says of his apprenticeship: ‘When I started at EPIX I had been a hobby programmer for many years but I had no experience with the core skills that are required in industry. Some standouts include programming in a team, code review and working with enterprise scale systems. During my employment I have been given extensive opportunities to develop these abilities allowing me to increase my strength not only as a solo developer but as a team player as well. My academic studies with Manchester Metropolitan University have been a constant support not only academically but also socially; providing me with a taste of the university life enjoyed by a lot of people my age. The days I have spent at uni have consolidated my knowledge in topics such as web development, project management and computer fundamentals whilst also providing me with the opportunity to make strong friendships I can see lasting a lifetime.’
‘We’re currently looking for an apprentice who’s interested in the cyber security or consultancy routes of MMU’s Digital & Technology Solutions Professional Degree Apprenticeship.’ explains Mike, our MD. ‘The Apprenticeship scheme really is great – both for the apprentices and for the businesses who sponsor them.’
If you want to find out more please check out the links below, or come and see us at the MMU Open Evening on 23 November: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/degree-apprenticeship-open-evening-tickets-712919059097?aff=oddtdtcreator
To learn more about the Graduate Apprentice scheme visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/higher-and-degree-apprenticeships
To learn more about the degree at MMU visit: https://www.mmu.ac.uk/study/apprenticeships/courses/digital-technology-solutions#ai-4358-0
