Member Article

Young Talent Click Start On IT Careers

A bespoke software development firm are creating jobs for young talent in the North East.

Wolf Group has taken on four software development apprentices as part of their award winning IT training initiative, the Wolf Academy.

The academy, based at the IT consultancy’s North Shields office, was launched two years ago to fill an industry-wide skills gap by training young professionals in software development, in order to meet a range growing digital needs such as the skills required for analysts, testers and developers.

Daniel Mills, 17, this month joined the software development firm’s training programme. He said: “I’m excited to be undertaking an apprenticeship somewhere that I have the opportunity to build a successful long-term career with plenty of development opportunities, but without the associated debts of the main alternative – going to university.”

In two years the IT consultancy, which now employs around 30 staff, has expanded its apprenticeship scheme to recruit a record number of young people into software development.

Academy manager, Andrew Hunt, said: “For a company of our size to have taken on 18 apprentices in the last 12 months is a real achievement and quite unusual within the North East IT industry.

“An apprenticeship with Wolf Group provides a solid foundation for a career in the IT sector. At our academy apprentices have the opportunity to work on multi-faceted live projects for our clients that include TRW, G4S and GE Oil and Gas. This offers great potential for skills development whilst giving candidates the chance to work alongside seasoned IT professionals.

“There’s significant competition for places on our programme and we only look for individuals with the right aptitude and the potential to become great developers.”

So far this year three former apprentices have found full-time employment within the software firm. It’s hoped the initiative will not only reduce unemployment but also help to create and sustain a reputation for innovation, technology and software development in the region.

Wolf Group have provided IT consultancy and bespoke software solutions to sectors such as healthcare, manufacturing, finance and retail for almost two decades. For more information visit: www.wolfgroup.co.uk

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Wolf Group .