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Zayaan Williamson, 21, is a Software Engineer at IBM CIC. He talks to us about why he chose to study on the Digital Technology Solutions Professional degree apprenticeship course, and how he has put his learning into practice.

Why did you decide to take up the Digital Technology Solutions Professional Degree course? 

I decided to take up a degree apprenticeship to gain experience in my chosen industry so going forward I have knowledge from the degree side and knowledge and experience acquired through a practical working environment.  

How has it helped your career so far? Have you been able to put learnings into practice in the job? 

The course has really helped me so far- the main skills that I have been to transfer from the degree apprenticeship to my working environment is coding in Java, and putting cyber security practices into use. The course also allows me to concentrate on other areas of my work during working hours, rather than constantly engaging in new learning within the workspace. Additionally, it allows me to dedicate separate time for my course-related learning, 

What feedback have you had from your company on your apprenticeship – have they been able to see the benefit that you’ve brought back to the role?  

Since starting on the course, I have received lots of positive feedback about how well I have managed both work and my degree apprenticeship, whilst still maintaining my enthusiasm to learn new skills on the job.  

What’s been the best moment of the course so far? 

My best moments are the networking opportunities I have had. Meeting new people within the industry with similar interests have been a highlight for me. It has helped me develop my general network giving me more options for promising opportunities within the workplace. Also, I can have conversations with new people who have had more experience than me, I am able to learn from these people, positively impacting my role at IBM CIC.  

Tell us about your passion for kickboxing- has it been hard to manage your studies with this?  

I have been training Muay Thai and Kickboxing alongside the apprentice programme over the past 3 years. Within the last year, I have had two K1 fights and came out with two wins. Training three times a day and fitting it around work and university was hard at first, but, with a routine in place, it became easier. I am currently still training in Leicester alongside some of the best fighters in the country. I am aiming to have my next fight towards the end of August/ September.