Why did you choose a degree apprenticeship?

The decision to pursue a Digital and Technology Solutions Degree Apprenticeship was driven by the desire to expedite my personal growth and development through a combination of theoretical and practical learning. I have found that this approach is appealing as it allows me to gain insight of industry experience, while simultaneously engaging myself in full-time employment and part-time education.

I also feel that choosing a degree apprenticeship would be the most beneficial to my career path. The application process at Thales UK vastly differed from the rest, it was fairly straight-forward and was made much more enjoyable due to its engaging nature such as the psychometric game challenges and the highly interactive assessment centre that followed. Additionally, I had also received extensive support from my college teachers to guide me down the correct path, including guidance in identifying opportunities that aligned with my interests.

How have you found the transition from T-Levels to degree apprenticeship so far?

The transition from T-Levels to a degree apprenticeship has been manageable due to prior work experience, which provided familiarity with job expectations. My first week in the office did seem a little daunting despite my prior work experience, however once I began branching out and receiving more work everything now feels much more settled.

The shift to a university environment was initially challenging due to it being so unique to college in terms of the size, how lectures work, the registration system and self-studying, but I have since adapted to the change. The practical skills obtained during my T-Levels have been transferable to the workplace, as demonstrated by the programming application of JavaScript, HTML and CSS in a recent work project focused on front-end development.

Do you have any advice for future degree apprentices applying through the T-Level route?

For those wanting to pursue a degree apprenticeship through the T-Levels route, I would advise taking advantage of any work experience opportunities to gain practical skills and a better understanding of the job you are looking to pursue as a future career, this will advance your personal value and knowledge to a whole new level. Additionally, it’s important to be prepared for your first day at work and university, just a simple pen and notebook will do the trick!

Out of the vast range of the curriculum I studied on the Digital T-Level course, the majority has been brought up at some point in work where it has had to be put into action such as agile working, scrum teams, unit testing, software planning (flowcharts etc.) and development. Nevertheless, the T-Levels route can provide a valuable foundation for a successful career as a degree apprentice so long as you choose the correct course that aligns with your interests!