Tech Industry Gold accredited degree apprenticeship opens doors and opportunities

Name: Joshua Bray
University: Manchester Metropolitan University
Employer: Lloyds Banking Group
Classification: Pending
Degree title: BSc (Hons) Digital & Technology Solutions

Getting started

I work for Lloyds Banking Group as one of their software engineers. Looking back on the past four years that I’ve been doing my Tech Industry Gold accredited degree apprenticeship, there are two things that stand out to me – the friendships that I’ve made and all the skills that I’ve learnt.

Learning

On an apprenticeship you get a much broader experience outside of what you may work on just within your team. Attending university as part of my apprenticeship has really made an impact and helped me grow and develop as a person. The most enjoyable thing has been the chance to study and learn, as that’s not something that you always get the opportunity to do later in life.

Implementing

It’s quite exciting to be able to learn different things, put those into practice at work and say to your colleagues “Look I’ve learnt this new skill, and this is how we can do things differently”. You also get a sense and understanding of everything else going on around you and how your role relates to the wider business.

Progression

I actually started out as a business analyst, yet through the Tech Industry Gold accredited degree apprenticeship I realised I should be in a more technical role and due to the flexible nature of the programme, I was able to move into software engineering. Since then I’ve grown and developed my skills, allowing me to progress into a more senior position, leading teams and projects.

The quality of degree apprenticeships are improving every single year and the introduction of Tech Industry Gold accredited degree apprenticeships has just been amazing. It has opened so many doors for me. I would recommend it to anyone.