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Digital Apprentice to Software Developer: Alan's story

What attracted you to pursue a career in digital and tech?

My generation grew up using touch screen mobile devices and laptops and as a teen I used to play a lot of computer games and often helped friends and family use their own devices. I took an interest in Information Technology at school and studied for a diploma in game development covering 3D environment design and concept art at college. I also learned coding in HTML which gave me good exposure to tech.

I didn’t feel university was right for me so after college I started a job in retail and parked my tech career interest for a while. Shortly after this, I started coding with a friend who was a software developer. He assigned me some small coding projects to help build my knowledge and skills. I checked Civil Service jobs one day and noticed an apprentice software developer entry role advert. After doing some research I learned that the apprenticeship would support me in a career change which was a fantastic opportunity, so I took a chance, applied and was successful.

Since joining the Home Office as a Digital Apprentice what are you doing now?

I joined as an apprentice developer and 16 months later was successful in securing an associate developer role and I've since been promoted to a mid-level software developer, all within 2 and a half years. Currently, I work with a multi-skilled team delivering software development projects and services for a variety of users. These projects support the police with technology applications that help them tackle crime across the UK.

What does your day-to-day work involve and why does it matter to you?

My job involves coding and developing an application to users’ specification. I work with developers, testers, business analysts and project leads, building solutions for government and the wider public. We work on a ticket (task) system. Each ticket will contain actions relating to a new part of the application to be built or edited, to improve usability. I get job satisfaction knowing I am helping to protect the public and making the police role easier, as well as working in an environment that promotes time for learning and growing as a developer. It’s important for me to contribute to public services in a way that really matters.

How have you progressed your career at the Home Office?

The Home Office’s Digital Apprenticeship programme and application process is a fair and open opportunity for people with little to no tech experience to join the Home Office. The programme provides a good base for tech learning and access to all areas of development required for your role. At the end of the apprenticeship, you’re supported to apply for a permanent associate position. For me, once I progressed from an apprentice to an associate developer, I had more time to work on new skills such as front-end development. All of this built my confidence and gave me tangible examples to include in my application when I was ready for promotion. I was successful in my application for the Software Developer role, and here I am!

How have you applied what you’ve learned so far?

I was able to work on a small Greenfield project for an internal team, who were relying on an excel spreadsheet to manage data. Our work has allowed the team to access a front-end application with provides graphical real-time data. We were able to build part of the application using AWS, and here I learned more about DevOps work and how we connect code to cloud applications.

What advice can you give to people considering a digital and tech role at the Home Office?

Applicants should research the role they are applying for to be clear on the distinction between the software developer and the DevOps engineer positions. They’re not the same role, and it's important to know the differences between the two. There is no pressure to be technical – you will build these skills on the job - but having a general understanding is important.

What’s the biggest benefit of working at the Home Office?

The learning and careers progression support you’ll get is second to none. You’ll have one main point of contact but the whole team is there to help you along your career journey. You’ll be able to drop them a message at any time and ask questions, and they'll do all they can to help you.

 

Explore jobs at Home Office Digital, Data and Technology

Technology Delivery Manager
Manchester

What's NewFeatured stories and upcoming events with the Digital, Data and Technology Team at the Home OfficeRead our blog about how we are becoming more user-centred in our approach to the design and delivery of our products and services, whilst working alongside other technical professions, to build a complex data-driven product. To learn more about why it is our goal to find ways of embedding diversity and inclusion into our research and design practices, visit our blog page.To learn more about what it's like to work within the Delivery Profession inside the Home Office, visit our blog page. You can find more stories from the team and be the first to hear about upcoming events on our Digital Data and Technology LinkedIn Life and Home Office Careers pages. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------You can read about the professions and roles on our careers website. Hear from the teamWatch the videos to hear from Software Engineers, Charlotte and Sulthan within the DDaT Engineering team about the projects their working on and how delivering public services at the Home Office can positively impact millions of lives every day.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The Home OfficeThe Home Office is the lead government department for immigration and passports, drugs policy, crime, fire, counter-terrorism and policing every day, our work delivers outcomes for UK citizens, providing them with the means to travel the world, tackling illegal migration and removing foreign national offenders, disrupting terrorist attacks and organised criminal groups, stopping people from becoming victims of crime and supporting those who require asylum and safeguarding.To achieve all this, we rely on talented people with a wide range of skills. This includes digital, data and technology skills, where we are recruiting to our teams based in Manchester, Sheffield, Glasgow and Croydon. Learn more about our work and organisation The DDaT Profession Career Framework features over 150 defined roles, grouped into 9 skills clusters – with staff often employed across fast-paced, multi-disciplinary teams: The 9 clusters are: ArchitectureCyber Security Data Engineering IT Operations Product Quality Assurance and TestingTechnology Delivery Management User Centred Design Why join Home Office Digital, Data and Technology?Home Office Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) designs, builds and develops services for the rest of the department and for government. Our role is to enable transformation through improved business efficiency. The DDaT function is made up of around 2,300 staff, augmented by a number of supplier partners. Every year our systems support up to 3 million visa applications, checks on 100 million border crossings, up to 8 million passport applications and delivers 140 million police checks on people, vehicles and property. The scale of our projects is matched only by the opportunities for our people.We are a friendly team who will support and challenge you to contribute. Our culture is inclusive, progressive and values the unique contributions everyone makes. Our tech strategy is also clear: we work in agile product- and user-centred teams, with cloud native and interdisciplinary working as the focus. Digital inclusion, accessibility and forming a technical community across departments are also key. Our main delivery centres are in Manchester Sheffield, Croydon, Glasgow, but we also have offices in Southport, Westminster, Liverpool, west London and north London. The team in Manchester is based in The Soapworks which is within the Media City boundary, 1½ miles from Manchester city centre, 2½ miles away from Manchester Piccadilly station and a 2-minute walk from the Exchange Quay tram stop.We offer a range of benefits for staff, including outstanding pensions schemes and a serious focus on continuous professional development. Learning and DevelopmentWe offer Learning and Development opportunities relevant to your role, which could include: AWS training and certification, Azure training and certification, O’Reilly Books as well as high quality management training, for example.In addition, we offer allocated study leave and support when studying for a relevant qualification or other accredited development. This may include BCS Membership, for example, or study towards a degree or masters qualification. Diversity & Inclusion We are committed to representing modern Britain in all its diversity, creating a welcoming, inclusive workforce where people can bring their whole selves to work. We’re proud to be one of the most ethnically diverse departments in the Civil Service, a Stonewall Top 100 Workplace Equality Employer and a Social Mobility Foundation Top 75 employer. We work to recruit and retain disabled staff and are a Disability Confident Leader. Our benefits Competitive starting salaries for your gradeAn additional allowance of up to £13,700 for candidates with exceptional skills and experienceA Civil Service pension with employer contribution rates of between 26.6% and 30.3%, depending on salary A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity Learning and development tailored to your roleAn environment with flexible working options25 days annual leave on appointment, rising to 30 days after 10 years' service, plus 8 days public holidays and 1 day additional privilege dayWe also offer:Season ticket loans and rental deposit loans Cycle to work and payroll givingEmployee discounts - including a huge number of retailers (via the Edenred platform), Microsoft Home Use programme and gym membership A variety of staff recognition schemes Health and wellbeing initiativesStaff support networksMaternity, adoption or shared parental leave of up to 26 weeks full pay, followed by 13 weeks of statutory pay and a further 13 weeks unpaidUp to 5 days paid leave for volunteeringStudy leave and support for studying for a qualification or other accredited development relevant to your roleJoin us and make a difference If you’re looking for a digital career where you can make an impact, using cutting edge tech and have the opportunity to build your CV with projects that will help you stand out from the crowd, see our current available roles on offer. You can also read our blog to learn more about our people and the brilliant work they do and follow us on LinkedIn and X.

Home Office Digital, Data and Technology

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