Member Article

Waymark’s latest recruits

AN ambitious Gateshead technology company has continued its recent expansion by taking on two new members of staff.

And Waymark hasn’t finished yet – the company is still looking for another recruit.

The bespoke software house only recently moved into larger offices in the Your Business Networks building in the Metro Riverside Park to accommodate more staff – and is already considering ways of expanding their offices again.

Its newest recruits are a software developer, Nyi Aung, and an apprentice, Ollie Warriner.

Nyi, 32, moved from Burma to the UK to study an IT degree at Middlesex University and then an IT with finance course at University College London.

He then worked as a junior developer with an IT company in Sussex before applying for a role at Waymark.

“The company is working in some interesting areas and with the very latest programmes and software, so it’s a great opportunity for me,” explained Nyi, who lives in Gosforth,

“I’ll be learning from the team here and developing new skills,” he added.

Nyi has a friend at Newcastle University so had visited the region before applying for the job: “My first impressions of the area are really positive, everyone is really friendly, just as they are at Waymark.”

Ollie has joined the company on a two-year software developer apprenticeship, arranged through the new Digital Industries Trailblazer Apprenticeship programme and training company B-Skill.

Ollie, 22, from Harrogate, stayed in the region after studying at Northumbria University.

“My dad’s family are from Gateshead so I know the area well. I’d been working in call centres while at the same time arranging house and techno nights at local clubs and running a record label. Through my music work I got more and more into computers and decided that was what I wanted to do,” he explained.

“When I saw the Waymark apprenticeship advertised, I could see a great opportunity,” he added. “I looked at a few others, but this was very specific – building mobile apps, web and desktop applications and writing and testing code.”

Unlike other apprenticeships, Oli will work at Waymark all of the time, his work being overseen by Waymark Development Director Jason Hylton-Jones.

This was important to Waymark, as Commercial Director Paul Lofthouse explained: “It means we have Ollie all the time and direct him in the Waymark way. I think Ollie is the first Digital Industries Trailblazer apprentice in the region, so I’m sure there’ll be some interest in how it works out.

“We’re delighted to welcome both Nyi and Ollie to the team. We’ve taken our time in recruiting the right people and were looking for the right skills and attitude to help develop the company further,” Paul added.

“We needed more people to keep pace with our expansion plans, but it’s so important to recruit people who share our ethos and ambitions.”

Waymark Managing Director David Brophy and Jason set the company up three years ago and were later joined by Paul. David and Jason had worked together at a previous company while David and Paul had known each other for many years through football coaching.

As well as bespoke software development, Waymark also works in mobile development and web development. The company began developing software for utility services, but has since expanded into the education, health, logistics and commercial sectors, working with more than 30 clients.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Paul Lofthouse .