Swansea software company invests in apprentices

Since the time of floppy disks and dot-matrix printers, generations of people have built a career in software development. Today, in the age of AI, cybersecurity and virtual working, the skills to write code and design websites are more valuable than ever. Little wonder then that more learners are turning to apprenticeships to take their first steps into IT.

We spoke to Sandfish Software in Swansea. The company have placed staff on the OU in Wales’ Degree Apprenticeship in Applied Software Engineering.

Meet Stefan

Sandfish Software help other organisations update and improve mission critical software. Their services include legacy software modernisation, application creation, bespoke system development, and website design and development.

Sandfish began as W3 Communications. At first, W3 focussed on creating software for the education sector and creating websites, before moving to project development and consulting.

‘Today software and web applications are much more sophisticated and development requires a multidisciplinary approach,' said Stefan. 'With the changing needs of our customers our focus as a business has shifted towards developing fully featured applications incorporating the latest technologies and techniques. The OU course has enabled us to train a first-class workforce capable of meeting these challenges.’

Why degree apprenticeships?

Degree apprenticeships are salaried positions which allow staff to earn while studying for a degree. 

We may think about apprenticeships as being for public sector bodies or multinational companies. But more small-to-medium enterprises are now turning towards them.

‘This course gives a perfect balance between work and study,’ adds Stefan. ‘It's not like a traditional university. You don’t need to head out of the office for a day or longer, and you can complete your assignments from work or home. This is important in businesses like ours, where client deadlines are always a factor.’

‘One of the key take-aways from this course is understanding why we do things in a specific way. It’s important to learn the reason behind technical choices. For example, why is one programming language more suitable over another? It’s so much more than knowing how to perform a task.’

Continued development

The Sandfish team also noticed their apprentices demonstrating other, more transferable skills. These include project management, test planning, or defining requirements with clients.

‘There's also a lot of information on software security on the course,’ adds Stefan. ‘It's something that has become more important to us and our clients.’ 

‘It's all about having the knowledge to support our skills. AI is becoming more and more important in business. And while it can help us with programming, we still need to know what it can do for us as a tool. That’s why software engineering is so important as a discipline.’

‘It’s great to see how the university encourages involvement between employers and students on the course. There are regular catch ups with personal tutors, and they feel supported the whole way through. This means we can see the great progress apprentices are making, and how it fits into our work.’