Apprentice Software Developer Review
at Department for Education
Level 4/5 Apprenticeship
Software Engineering
Manchester
Review Submitted: September 2026
Overall Rating
5 /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!
5/5
-
Overview of Role
5/5
-
Skills Development
5/5
-
Structure and Support
Overview of Role
Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:
5/5
I work as a Software Developer Apprentice in a central government department, contributing to the design, development and deployment of live digital services. My responsibilities include building and maintaining RESTful APIs, writing and running unit tests, managing CI/CD pipelines and working within an agile delivery team. I collaborate across teams to gather requirements, raise and refine user stories and ensure the services I build meet both technical and business needs. Alongside my apprenticeship I am developing my skills independently through side projects, where I take full ownership of the product from concept through to deployment.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
5/5
I thoroughly enjoyed the programme. It was well structured and gave me a strong foundation in software development. The team I worked with ensured I had ample on the job training hours to meet my apprenticeship requirements and were consistently supportive throughout, providing both technical guidance and development opportunities that complemented my formal training.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
5/5
Through my apprenticeship I have developed strong practical skills in C# and .NET development, building and deploying RESTful APIs on Azure from the ground up. I have gained hands on experience with test driven development, writing unit tests and working within a CI/CD pipeline using Azure DevOps. I have also developed my understanding of cloud infrastructure, API management and agile delivery practices including writing user stories and collaborating across teams. Beyond the technical skills, I have grown in confidence when reading and navigating unfamiliar codebases, raising pull requests and contributing to a live government service. Independently I have continued to develop my product thinking through building my own platform from scratch, which has broadened my perspective beyond pure development into areas like architecture, user experience and business strategy.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
5/5
The programme has been very well organised and structured throughout. The balance between on the job learning and formal training has been clear from the start, making it easy to track progress and understand what was expected at each stage.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
5/5
I have received a great deal of support from both my managers and colleagues. They have consistently made time to answer questions, provide guidance and ensure I had the right opportunities to develop my skills in a real working environment.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
5/5
My training provider has been very supportive throughout, offering regular workshops, one to one meetings and online resources to keep me on track and prepared for my assessments.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
5/5
The qualification has given me a solid foundation in software development principles that I have been able to apply directly in my role. It has helped me approach problems more methodically and given me the confidence to continue learning independently.
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
5/5
Yes, the team holds quarterly in person away days which include team building activities and project demos. There is also an annual DfE sports day each summer which is a great opportunity to connect with colleagues from across the department.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend Department for Education to a friend?
Yes
Why?
The DfE is a great place to work. The working environment is welcoming and inclusive, with friendly and helpful colleagues at every level. There are also strong opportunities for career progression, making it a place where you can genuinely grow and develop over the long term.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to Department for Education?
Start looking early. There are always opportunities available and roles are based across England so don't assume you need to be in London. Keep an eye on the Civil Service Jobs website and apply as soon as something relevant comes up as positions can move quickly.
