Sci-Net has always recognised the importance of attracting young talent to maintain its high level of developer skills. As it’s National Apprenticeship Week, we took the time to catch up with the apprentice’s past and present here at Sci-Net Ltd. We asked them about their experiences and what advantages the apprenticeship scheme has given them.
Nathan Moore is our latest apprentice to go through the scheme. After 15 months, he has just completed his final assessment, in which he had a week to architect, plan, deploy, configure, and document a server hosting active directory domain services for a small network of client machines. As of writing, he is currently awaiting his results.
In this time, Nathan has been on several intensive courses covering topics from networking and server administration to application development and business processes. He has also completed three substantial work-based projects which show an insight into my day-to-day work as a Junior Azure Technician.
Over the next year, Nathan aims to develop his skills in cyber security through several upcoming courses and further Microsoft associate-level certifications. He can then better address our customers’ security concerns and ensure our customers are protected from the latest emerging threats.
Nathan also puts his positive experience as an apprentice down to the support of the Sci-Net team, especially his line manager and mentor, Matt Darnell. Matt has helped Nathan widen his skillset by sharing his extensive knowledge of the Azure platform and Microsoft Dynamics Nav and Business Central and allowing him the time and space to explore the Azure platform and hone his scripting skills through numerous challenges.
‘To anyone considering an apprenticeship, I would highly recommend it!’ commented Nathan ‘I’ve personally found it suited my learning style where studying at university didn’t. I’ve had the opportunity to learn in a practical environment with true experts in their fields and been able to work with the latest releases and developments in cloud technology – all the while being paid. It was a no brainer!’
Nathan will now become a fully-fledged team member and join previous apprentice Conner Boast. Conner, who is now a Cloud Developer, had this to say about his experience.
‘My experience during the apprenticeship was fast-paced due to me joining Sci-Net halfway through. Still, it has prepared me to take on exciting new projects such as creating customer portals, mobile apps, website development, and cloud technology. Joining the Sci-Net team has to led me to learn so much in many different areas, which I am grateful for.‘
Sci-Net also runs an undergraduate programme, and we welcomed our first post-graduate trainee consultant last September. Nathan Bartell joined the company from the University of Portsmouth, where he earned a first-class degree in Business Information Systems. He is participating in a fast-track training scheme to develop his knowledge across the company’s operations. We asked him how he has progressed since September.
“The last few months have allowed me to combine learning with real-world practice. This has allowed me to grow as an individual and build skills that will help me throughout my career.“
We will be launching our new Academy soon, so in the meantime, If you’re interested in finding out more about the Sci-Net Apprentice and Undergraduate scheme, please get in contact with us here hello@sci-net.co.uk
