Joe

When he completes his apprenticeship, he will earn a BSc in Digital and Technology solutions from the University of Suffolk

Why did you come to UTCN?

The main selling point for UTCN for me was that it had a great history of helping students progress into Apprenticeship roles which was highly appealing to me, especially as most other colleges/sixth-forms were solely focused on getting students to University and did not really consider other opportunities the way UTCN did.

What did you like about UTCN?

I really enjoyed the chill environment of UTCN, how as a student we were treated as grown-ups and developing professionals rather than just students. Also, all the teachers I had during my time at UTCN were so incredibly helpful and supporting. I’d especially like to shout out Mr Beckett and Dr Chng as they really helped me get the grades I did and were all-around really solid people to speak with. 

Why did you apply to be a Degree Level Network Engineer Apprentice at BT/ University of Suffolk?

From a young age, I knew that I wanted to get into the tech industry, and when I saw this opportunity to earn a degree whilst also working for such a large and influential company, I had to try to get it. 

What do you do in your Apprenticeship? What do you like about it?

Currently, I am working 4 days a week in the Network Operations Centre at Adastral park working as part of the 21CN Repair Team where I help manage and repair the Fibre and Copper network around the UK. I also have a day at university where I am working towards my Degree in Digital and Technology solutions. There’s lots I like about my apprenticeship, the amount of new and amazing people I’ve met, the wide range of opportunities I’ve already had such as my recent visit to the new BT office in Birmingham, as well as the fact that every 6 months I can rotate into a different team so that by the end of the Apprenticeship I’ll have a way better idea of which team I’ll want to join full time. 

What advice would you give current UTCN students?

I think the one piece of advice I would give, and wish I understood, is that there is so much time to build your career and it doesn’t matter if you don’t go straight into an Apprenticeship or University straight after you leave college. For myself, after I left UTCN, I worked a full-time job within a small local tech company for roughly a year until I found the right opportunity for myself.