Apprentice Researcher Review
at BT Group
Degree Apprenticeship
Information Technology
Ipswich
Review Submitted: May 2023
Overall Rating
3.9 /5
The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!
3.5/5
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Overview of Role
4/5
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Skills Development
3.6/5
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Structure and Support
Overview of Role
Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:
4/5
I am able to rotate between four different teams for two years before coming back to my favourite. At the moment, I am in my second team where I am doing data science - looking at anomaly detection algorithms for digital subscriber line (DSL) performance.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
3/5
As it is a 9-to-5 job and I also have all of the university responsibilities, I do find it difficult to enjoy the things that I want to do and it can be stressful. However, it is a great experience, I am learning so much and it's funded.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
4/5
Yes - to name a few I would say I have developed my interpersonal skills, Python, SQL, React, time-management, reflection, and discipline.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
3/5
It has had over four years before me so it is well established and follows a good structure. The first two years are rotating teams every six months and then we go back to our preferred team where possible to finish our apprenticeship and roll-off.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
4/5
I am very well supported and have lots of people to go to in the case of a problem.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
4/5
This depends on the lecturer, but on the whole help is given when needed and we also have university mentors that can help us when we need them to.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
3/5
It takes a lot of time away from being able to develop the skills that I need at work, but they help in technical aspects such as coding. Most of the time, the content doesn't follow up-to-date/best practices but they do help to build skills.
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
4/5
Yes, there are lots of opportunities, but as this is a 9-to-5 and we also have university work to consider, I don't have much time for these.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend BT Group to a friend?
Yes
Why?
For a degree apprenticeship, they pay for our university, pay us a salary, and they also give us four years of experience.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to BT Group?
For the degree apprenticeships, focus more on interpersonal skills and it makes a huge difference if you have previous experience in another workplace, no matter what kind of work that may be.
