Recent Grad. or career switcher interested in joining one of the best training programmes in the business as an Apprentice Software Developer? If you have a passion for solving real-world challenges and looking to become qualified in Software Engineering – Read on!
So what’s the job?
Softwire are looking for motivated apprentices to join their team of software developers. As an apprentice at Softwire, you’ll get a thorough introduction to commercial software development, on a fantastic package with a salary of £24,000, plus bonus and other benefits.
Tell me more… 👀
Softwire’s two-year apprenticeship starts with three months of full-time training, leading into commercial software development work on Softwire’s customer project teams.
You will get to work on a variety of projects, with a range of technologies, and they’ll provide ongoing training and support every step of the way. Apprentices graduate with a Level-4 BCS-accredited Diploma in Software Engineering, and an internationally recognised coding qualification.
Do I fit the bill? 🕵️
Who can apply:
- Anyone with no degree or with a non-STEM degree.
(If you have a STEM degree you should instead apply for one of their graduate developer roles).
The people they’re looking for:
- A passion for solving real-world challenges: First and foremost, you’ll get a buzz from building things that make a difference to businesses, people and society. They also want to see a passion for coding – any experience you have is a bonus
- An articulate people-person: You’ll be interacting with a wide variety of individuals: some deeply techy, some from complex business domains, and others with low digital literacy. You’ll need to become comfortable understanding their needs and discussing potentially complicated technical ideas with all of them
- A positive, can-do team player: You love pushing the team to greater heights by helping colleagues out wherever you can. You always look to improve yourself and others. Your default answer to a question is ‘yes’, and you make big problems seem small
The exciting bits!
- Starting salary of £24,000 plus annual bonus 💰
- 25 days annual holiday with the option to buy or sell, plus charity days
- Consistently one of the best places to work in the UK (They’ve been in the Best Companies to Work For listing, 10 years in a row) 🏆
- Dedicated budget for staff activities and entertainment 🤸
- Great offices, plus free on-site gym and subsidised restaurant 🏋️
- A workplace that promotes diversity and inclusion 😍
The key details
📍 Location: London based (recruitment process entirely remotely)
💰 Salary: £24,000, plus annual bonus.
📅 Apprenticeships start in October 2022. These are allocated to successful applicants on a first-come, first-served basis. We recommend applying now to secure your place.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at Softwire 🛍️
“Of course, there’s more to Softwire than building software. We’re working hard to nurture a diverse, inclusive and supportive culture, where people love what they do and feel inspired by working with some of the best minds in the business.”
What’s the culture like?
“We also have a generous budget for a varied programme of staff events and activities, with employees, not management, deciding how the money is spent.
Put all of this together, and you see why we’ve got such high retention rates, and why we’ve been among the Best Companies to Work For list, 10 years in a row.”
These are the values on which the Softwire company culture is based;
- We really care about what we do:
Individually and collectively, we really care about doing a good job. We sweat every detail but never forget the big picture. We are always trying to improve what we do and how we do it. When we notice something could be better, we do something about it.
- We trust and are trustworthy:
Sharing information and telling people how and why decisions are made. Doing the right thing even when no one is watching.
Not bothering with lots of rules and processes that we don’t need. No politics, gossip or cliques: we’re all on the same team, even if we disagree sometimes.
- We are kind:
Showing appreciation and gratitude towards others. Saying thank you. Seeking to understand someone else’s point of view, rather than just focusing on pushing your own. Showing consideration and understanding. Helping out if someone is struggling.”
- We are fun
Work won’t always be fun but everyone should feel enthusiastic about working at Softwire. We want everyone to enjoy the time they spend at work and we want clients to enjoy the time spent with us. We value taking the time to get to know each other and make friends.
So, what are the next steps? ✏️
Softwire’s Application Process: “We know how much effort you put into your application, so we always aim to get back to you within two working days at each stage. And if you get to the interviews, you can choose your own timeslots, using our online booking system. Given the current situation, we’ll be running this year’s recruitment process entirely remotely.”
- Online aptitude & coding tests (2-3 hours): Complete a series of exercises to demonstrate your capabilities
- Introductory interview: This non-technical interview helps us get to know each other and understand what inspires you
- Second interview (2-3 hours): We then spend some time on a deep dive, to get a feel for the way you solve business and technology challenges
- Job offer
More about Softwire: What you’ll be part of
“Our mission is to solve our customers’ business challenges using technology. This often demands creativity, tackling complex issues in intelligent ways, to help organisations streamline operations and better serve their customers and users.
We played an important role in the Moorfields Eye Hospital/DeepMind collaboration, which demonstrated how artificial intelligence could help doctors fast-track patients with serious eye diseases. We built the system that runs the BBC Live Events websites, sharing content from Glastonbury, the Reading and Leeds festivals, and the BBC Proms. We’ve been the long-term digital partner for David Lloyd Leisure, building its mobile app, booking system and numerous other capabilities. And this is just the tip of the iceberg. Find out what else we’ve been involved with .
Information for non-UK applicants
All roles and internships require employees to be based in the UK and to work from one of our offices – the only exception being when covid restrictions necessitate temporary remote working. As such, all applicants and employees must possess the right to work in the UK.
For permanent roles, Softwire offers visa sponsorship for non-UK nationals and will cover application costs for a Skilled Worker visa or Indefinite Leave to Remain. For internships and apprenticeships, we are regrettably unable to offer visa sponsorship. Non-UK nationals applying for internships or apprenticeships must already have the right to work in the UK, for example by virtue of studying in the UK and thus holding a Student visa.”