Last week I was invited by some fellow degree apprentices working at SSE to a BCS (The Chartered Institute for IT) seminar. The aim of the talk was to give guidance to apprentices and graduates on advancing their career path, and the role which BCS could play in their careers.

I was interested in sitting in on the seminar not only because I wanted to make the most of the tools available to me as a degree apprentice, but to see for myself how BCS is supporting the next generation of developers, sysadmins and others in the industry. The seminar featured talks from graduates and from various BCS employees, all of which highlighted how the tools and services offered with BCS membership assist strong career growth and opportunities at work.

To me, the most influential talk was from Jamie Donaldson, a graduate who took part in the Ministry of Defence’s Information Graduate Scheme. His BCS membership provided him with tools that not only helped translate the skills he learned at university into a place on the coveted scheme, but also helped him gain promotion! Jamie talked us through some of the tools on the BCS Springboard platform, such as the CV builder, the psychometric test simulator, and the personal development plan designer.

The rest of the talks were great, too. Laura Bartle from the Young Professionals Group talked about its nationwide chapters, which provide free events, Nick Phillips discussed the advantages of applying for RITTech certification as a graduate and the AMBCS associate programme for apprentices. Finally, Adam Thilthorpe (BCS Director of Professionalism) led an interesting discussion on corporate governance and the importance of innovation.

It was all pretty convincing and reassuring evidence that the BCS knows how much graduates and apprentices matter to this industry. I’m also convinced that graduates looking to join the BCS are making a worthwhile investment in their future.