This week marks the celebration of National Apprenticeship Week here at DWP Digital.
We are proud to have supported 113 apprentices through their learning journey to successful completion in the last 12 months, an increase of 80% more than the previous 12 months.
Throughout the week a series of events and training was provided to colleagues across the organisation to raise awareness of the incredible work our apprentices and their support networks do on a daily basis.
Makers Apprenticeship Awards
Last week we also celebrated four DWP Digital colleagues getting recognition for their work at the Makers Apprenticeship Awards. Makers are an apprenticeship provider for DWP Digital, offering programmes at a Higher Level 4 standard in a range of roles including Software Development and DevOps Engineering. Makers provide the knowledge and skills in a supportive learning setting; apprentices then combine this with hands on learning on real projects within DWP Digital.
The awards are a celebration of transformation of individuals, organisations, and the tech industry. Now in its third year, they honour the bold spirit of career changers and the organisations that support them.
There were 43 colleagues from across DWP Digital nominated, and 16 shortlisted, an exceptional achievement to be put forward for the rising star, technical brilliance, innovator, impact, mentor and line manager categories.
Innovator
Louis won The Innovator Award for transforming The Garage's existing Redmine ticketing platform to its latest version. The Garage are a team within DWP Digital using AI and automation to simplify and streamline customer and colleague experience. Managing to create a proof of concept in under three weeks, within twelve-weeks, Louis successfully set up a fully functional application. His ability to deliver a working solution in such a short timeframe is impressive, whilst also balancing his regular workload and apprenticeship.
Louis demonstrated an exceptional ability to learn and apply new technologies, earning the award for his work ethic, technical expertise, and innovative mindset.
“His journey is a testament to his zest for innovation, continuous experimentation, and relentless focus on achieving targets with new technologies. His dedication to mastering new skills and applying them effectively to solve real-world problems makes him an excellent winner of The Innovator Award.”
Louis’ line manager
Technical Brilliance
Jaabir won the Technical Brilliance Award for his achievement optimising AWS endpoints as part of his final apprenticeship project. His meticulous research and implementation significantly reduced cloud costs, exemplifying Jaabir’s ability to combine technical skill with strategic thinking to deliver measurable value to the department.
He has written numerous scripts to automate repetitive tasks, streamline workflows, and increase efficiency. Saving time, reducing errors, and improving consistency across the team, Jaabir has a genuine passion for problem-solving. His ideas are not only innovative but impactful.
Jaabir is deaf and requires additional accessibility considerations. Supported by an interpreter, he ensures complex technical information is conveyed accurately in both directions, not allowing this to be a barrier to his success.
Supportive teams
The Makers Apprenticeship awards not only recognise rising stars on their apprenticeship journey but are an opportunity to celebrate the supportive teams around them, the colleagues who offer advice, cheerlead, and guide apprentices through any challenges.
Stella won Line Manager of the Year for her exceptional leadership, mentoring and unwavering commitment to supporting apprentices with their growth and contributing to team success.
“Her mentorship extends beyond work-related tasks, she genuinely cares about our wellbeing and work-life balance, which fosters a supportive atmosphere. She always somehow navigates obstacles with a positive attitude and encourages us to view setbacks as opportunities for learning and growth”
Dipa, DevOps apprentice line managed by Stella.
Annesa was awarded Mentor of the Year for her commitment to supporting apprentices beyond her direct line management responsibilities. As a former DevOps apprentice in DWP Digital, she acts as a role model to current apprentices, offering guidance on portfolios and providing technical advice.
Annesa is dedicated to inspiring others into pursuing a tech career, regularly holding one-on-one sessions, answering questions on LinkedIn and speaking at events. She shares her journey of having no prior experience in technology, just an interest and a positive attitude for learning. She is generous with her time to encourage those curious about working in technology to follow their passions.
Congratulations
“Nothing makes us prouder at Makers than the achievements of the apprentices we support. This year they beat all national records with 80% merits and distinctions and 84% achievement rate. But it's not the numbers that makes us so proud, it's the values they hold, the way they collaborate and the care that they take. Congratulations to the DWP Digital apprentices, we can't wait to see what the future holds for you.”
Claudia Harris OBE, CEO at Makers.
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