National Apprenticeship Week: a Q&A with Megha George
Hi Megha, why did you enrol on an apprenticeship at FDB?
I heard about this degree apprenticeship at Sixth Form from my careers advisor and I thought it was a really great career opportunity. When further researching the course, I found many positive employee testimonials and I felt that my future career aspirations were aligned with FDB’s missions and values.
Can you tell us about your apprenticeship?
I’m currently in my second year of the Digital & Technology Solutions Professional Level 6 Apprenticeship, which is a 4-year course. This course combines part-time work at FDB with a part-time university degree at the University of Exeter. The work becomes full-time during university holidays.
How have you found the experience of being an apprentice at FDB?
I’ve really enjoyed this experience and have already become much more proficient in several coding languages and coding best practices from working alongside skilled and experienced developers.
How does your apprenticeship work out for you on a daily basis?
In a typical week, I have two days with the team, two training days and a university day. The university days provide the degree aspect of the course. On this day, I attend university lectures, study the module e-learning and work on assignments. On the days that I work with the team, I will either shadow another member of the team or work independently on an assigned project. Furthermore, on my training days, I use online resources and coding challenges to improve my coding skills.
This course has a very strong support network. I have bi-weekly catchups with my Team Lead and Employee Mentor and termly meetings with my University Mentor, to ensure that I am coping with the workload and getting the most out of the course.
Do you think the apprenticeship is helping you on your career pathway?
I aspire to have a career in software development. I believe that this course will equip me with the technical and employability skills required, as it will provide a university degree as well as an opportunity to apply the knowledge that I learn in the degree through industry-led work experience. I also have rotations between the teams every 5/6 months which provides me with experience in different code bases and different approaches to software development.
Would you encourage others to become an apprentice at FDB?
I would encourage others to become an apprentice at FDB because this course gives you the best of both worlds. At the end of the course, you will gain a university degree as well as industry-led experience in this career. The course is also fully funded which means you can finish the degree without any student debt and earn a salary while you work.
What did you do before you joined FDB?
Before this degree, I had some experience in a work environment, primarily from working in retail. I had been in my last year of A-Levels when I applied for this course and all of my coding knowledge had been self-taught using online resources and books.
If you would like to learn more about FDB's apprenticeship scheme, please visit our careers page.
