Charlie

Why did you want to come to UTCN?

I came in year 12 from Wymondham High. I’d been to lots of open days to explore options for 6th form and I immediately liked UTCN the best. I was really impressed by how 6th formers are encouraged to engage with employers whilst still at school and to build the soft skills like communication and team work.

Which employer engagement activities were particularly memorable?

I really enjoyed Find your Future on a Wednesday morning, but I also enjoyed how employer engagement was built into the curriculum. For example, as part of my Computer Science A Level, we did a project with NetMatters. We had to design software with them, which meant I got to speak to people from the company and improve my communication and team working skills.

How did you come to do your apprenticeship and what is the structure of it?

I had been rejected from my first choice of apprenticeship and was feeling really disheartened. However, I saw this apprenticeship advertised on LinkedIn and thought it was a perfect fit!

I will complete my level 4 qualification in 2 years. All my college work is completed online on a Friday.  I spend 4 days a week working and work fairly independently from a brief. I get given long term projects where I am required to make bespoke software. I’m currently working on a sign in app which will be used on sites across 4 countries

After I have completed the apprenticeship, this will lead to a full-time job in the company.

What advice would you give current UTCN students?

• Talk to the employability team. They are brilliant at finding opportunities which are right for you.
• Take advantage of employability engagement activities. The soft skills I learn have really helped me, particularly when it comes to communication skills on projects.