Degree Apprenticeships – what you need to know from a graduate

Jolene Spencer

Graduated Degree Apprentice, Capgemini

How did you find out about a degree apprenticeship?

I grew up with the full intention of going to university but, as I started sixth form, I began researching options for further education, which is where I came across Capgemini’s higher apprenticeship. I had applied for university to study computer science. Although this was a scary idea, deciding to take the apprenticeship with Aston University was an even more daunting step, because my background had no technical aspects. I was concerned that this would affect my ability to perform well at my job, but I was trained from the very beginning.

Why did you decide to do an apprenticeship? Why this particular role?

I wanted to have a career in IT as I enjoyed it in school. I had heard good things about apprenticeships and felt that it would be a more effective way for me to learn. During the UCAS process, I began to read up on higher apprenticeships. Choosing between doing a normal degree and the apprenticeship was a pretty easy decision.

Can you give us an insight to the apprenticeship?

Over the 5 years of my apprenticeship I was given various opportunities to hone my skills and develop myself within Capgemini. In addition to gaining a degree, I had exposure to the various aspects of what allows for a successful delivery. This has varied from working on; day to day system monitoring, capacity management, change management, system upgrades, likewise working with a client to identify areas of growth and development and introducing new services to enhance their system reliability and availability.