Two young people in the North East are getting a chance to launch their careers as software developers, thanks to Newcastle upon Tyne-based digital transformation specialist whyaye.
James Armstrong, from Blyth and Alex Thompson, from Newcastle, have embarked on apprenticeships at whyaye, which is headquartered in Newcastle’s Ouseburn area.
The pair are studying for Software Development Technician Level 3 qualifications, which are delivered by Baltic Apprenticeships, a company that specialises in launching careers in IT, software development and digital marketing.
James and Alex, who have joined whyaye’s Product and Platform Assurance team, are the first apprentices taken on by the company – and whyaye has plans for further apprentice intakes in the future.
Founded by Maureen Robson Norman, Anna Bisset and Lisa Smith – who met while working on a Royal Bank of Scotland project in 2014 – whyaye was set up in 2019 to bring a fresh, new approach to the UK consultancy landscape.
whyaye’s core service areas include business change and adoption, enterprise transformation, product and platform assurance, programme delivery and operational resilience.
Its team have extensive experience of delivering IT transformation, business change and operational resilience programmes for major global financial services institutions, global FMCG organisations and multinational technology companies.
whyaye is a premier partner for the ServiceNow digital platform, which help companies manage digital workflows and is the 2021 ServiceNow EMEA Premier Segment Partner of the Year.
Through their apprenticeships with whyaye, James and Alex will gain hands-on training on the ServiceNow platform and will be able to learn technical skills from the company’s highly experienced Product and Platform Assurance team.
Commenting on his apprenticeship, Alex Thompson said: “I’ve always thought that I wanted to go to college, but I learned about apprenticeships at school and I liked the sound of getting work experience as well as learning.
“At whyaye everyone is incredibly friendly and willing to help, and that creates a nice learning culture. I’ve also made good friends at the company.”
James Armstrong added: “I just love code and I really want to build my career as a professional developer. I believe whyaye can push my coding competency and knowledge to the next level. I’m already learning a lot.”
Shane Finch, Product and Platform Assurance Service Lead of whyaye, said: “Supporting and nurturing young tech talent is absolutely crucial in our industry and we’re proud to be helping Alex and James to develop their careers.
“Demand for tech expertise is high and it is vital we help to support the future leaders and architects that the industry will need in five to ten years’ time.
“Many of my colleagues today have come through apprenticeship programmes and are now leading implementations, which is fantastic to see, and I am sure that Alex and James will have similarly successful careers.”
“Maureen Robson Norman, CEO of whyaye, added: “At whyaye, we have developed a fun, dynamic working environment which gives people an opportunity to thrive and grow, and we’re delighted to have Alex and James on board as our first apprentices.
“We are committed to developing tech talent in the North East and this apprenticeship programme forms a key part of our long-term growth and recruitment strategy.
“We’re greatly enjoying working with Alex and James, who have already proved themselves as keen and committed members of the team, and we look forward to welcoming more apprentices to whyaye in the future.”
For more information on whyaye, visit https://whyayeltd.com/
