Capgemini to recruit 100 IT apprentices in the West Midlands

Capgemini offers to pay university tuition fees of the best candidates

Computer services giant Capgemini is looking for 100 new apprentices in the Birmingham and West Midlands region as it seeks to nurture talent from a younger age, rather than battling it out with its fierce rivals for a skilled graduate.

The company is looking to build on a successful apprenticeship programme in 2012 and will recruit throughout the year, with its first intake this March. It offers an 18-month Advanced Apprenticeship programme for those aged 16 and over with good GCSEs or equivalent, and a five-year Higher-Apprenticeship programme for people aged 18 and above with two A-levels or equivalent.

Those who join the Higher Apprentice Programme will have an opportunity to gain a BSc (Hons) degree in computing and IT practice, with Capgemini paying all of the tuition fees.

Brian Sinclair, head of fresher recruitment at Capgemini, told Computing that the company is looking to hire apprentices who can demonstrate their passion for technology.

"We're looking for a passion in IT, whether it is from academic studies like GCSEs or A-levels or something the applicant is focused on part-time as a hobby. It has to be someone who is really interested in the world of technology," he said.

"It's good to work with team players, people who have good communication skills, a lot of potential and interests and raw ability so that we can train them to be a proper IT professional in a short space of time," he added.

Capgemini's apprentice programme manager, Rebecca Plant, explained that the programme offers the opportunity for students to gain Level 4 apprenticeship qualification, while also enabling those on the fees-paid tuition course to graduate debt free.

"We sponsor them for their full degree so there is no £15,000 to £20,000 debt of tuition fees. It offers them unique work experience to learn their skill or trade of software development in a big organisation," she said.

Both programmes, which were developed in conjunction with E-Skills UK, the British Computer Society and Business in the Community, include a 12-week residential course at the Capgemini National Apprentice Training Centre, followed by on-the-job training working with senior employees on client projects.

Capgemini to recruit 100 IT apprentices in the West Midlands

Capgemini offers to pay university tuition fees of the best candidates

"There is no fixed location, there is the opportunity to travel or work from home, or meet clients - we don't hide them from client situations. The programme is full-time employment but as it is an apprenticeship it builds the bridge between education and employment to adapt to corporate life to make the apprentices successful," Plant explained.

Sinclair added that in recent times there has been a skills deficit in junior software developers, meaning that the graduate marketplace had become more competitive, forcing Capgemini to compete intensively with rivals to recruit the best talent available.

He said that the apprenticeship schemes will help the company to develop its own software developers.

An apprentice who is currently on the scheme, Lewis Park, told Computing that the biggest attractions of the scheme were the work experience it provided in addition to the opportunity to gain a degree, debt free.

"I was going to study computer software development but that was going to cost me a lot of money, but the biggest attraction to me is having the work experience; the practical side of things you don't really get to grips with in education, but in this scheme you do," he said.

Capgemini pays its apprenticeships £10,000 (pro rata) for the first three months during which they are on the fast-track residential course. This then rises to £14,500 per annum for Advanced Apprentices and £16,000 per annum for Higher Apprentices.

Recruits will be based at Capgemini locations in Aston, Birmingham and Telford, Shropshire.

Further information on the apprenticeships can be found here.