Adastral Park is one of BT’s largest Tech hubs in the UK. We spoke to Hannah Cook to find out what it’s like to be an apprentice here.
Tell us who you are and what you do
I’m a Software Engineering apprentice working in Adastral Park, Ipswich. I’ve been at BT for just over 3 years now, having joined just after finishing my A-levels. I was always interested in IT, and after attending a few apprenticeship events and visiting Adastral Park for work experience, I knew BT was for me. As an apprentice I rotate roles every 6-9 months, and in my current rotation I help to design and deliver new internal services which benefit my colleagues inside the business.
What is it like to be an apprentice at Adastral Park?
There is a massive apprentice community at Adastral Park, which has meant that I’ve met lots of wonderful new friends at both work and at university. There are always new opportunities to get involved in, particularly volunteering at events. I’ve met new people from other areas of the business through different projects and events, and there are always new social events (inside and outside of work) to join in with.
What is your favourite thing about working at Adastral Park?
As Adastral Park is a tech hub, there are always new and exciting things happening. For example, every year we have schoolchildren join us for British Science Week, so we get to put on lots of fun activities for them (usually involving robots). BT gives every employee three days a year to volunteer for events like this, so there is a lot you can get stuck into. Right now, for example, I’m working in a team developing a new VR experience for the Bawdsey Radar Museum. Opportunities like this come along fairly frequently as Adastral Park has strong community links and is known for being an innovation park!
What is the best project you’ve worked on?
The best project I’ve worked on has to be the one I’m working on currently! I’m working as a Service Designer/Project Manager within IT, and our project is to build an online service which will allow teams to participate in project reviews collaboratively, so that everyone can learn what their strengths/weaknesses are as a team. In my current rotation, I have learnt so much, and I’ve been responsible for the delivery of the project right through from developing the concept to launching it! It’s allowed me to build up my skills in human-centred design, ensuring that we are solving the user’s pain points and creating something which will be loved by our customers. It’s been great to bring this service to life and see it being used by people across the business.
Where do you see your career going once you have finished your apprenticeship?
When I finish my apprenticeship I’ll have a full-time role in my area, and the great thing about BT is that there are so many different teams and roles you can work in, especially at Adastral Park. You may even find new job opportunities along the way from the people that you meet. In terms of my career, I’d like to continue to build up my expertise in Human-Centred design and Agile, and create a career for myself where I can use these skills to deliver brilliant services for our customers and colleagues!
You can find more opportunities like Hannah's on the Not Going To Uni site!
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