Achieve Your Career Goals as an Apprentice

Here at Codence, we invest in the apprenticeship segment of our business. We have been for several years; it is work that matters to us. We recently partnered with the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment and the U.S. Department of Labor, and this is how they describe the value of apprenticeships: “Apprenticeships help workers gain skills and education while earning a paycheck, and employers need a reliable workforce pipeline to ensure their long-term success.”

We agree; Trained Software Developer Apprentices support the long-term success of our clients (employers). Newly trained apprentices coupled with hands-on knowledge of an organization’s processes and tools provide opportunities for growth both for the apprentice and the team they support.

Set the apprentice up for success in their future employment

Codence seeks invested individuals to join the apprenticeship program. Individuals ready to be mentored, learn technical skills, develop databases, then use that knowledge to tackle the mission of their new employer. We think of it in terms of building up the next generation of Claris FileMaker Developers while providing organizational solutions for our clients’ long-term needs. In short, we aim to teach our clients to fish by introducing them to a capable, newly trained fisherperson.

In this blog post, we will cover three primary values to apprenticeships: 1) apprentices learn from skilled mentors, 2) apprentices develop skillsets and value in the job market, and 3) apprenticeships look great on paper—resume enhancement can lead to more career opportunities. Let’s unpack these three values together.

Learn from Skilled Mentors

At Codence, we pride ourselves on having a skilled team of mentors. Upon starting at Codence, apprentices will immediately immerse themselves into the work we do. For the time the apprentice is at Codence, they are a member of our team. We encourage the apprentice to be known and participate in team activities.

Regarding the structure of the Codence curriculum, we pair the apprentice with one primary mentor to work through one-on-one training. The apprentice will have access to all our internal resources during their time. We also encourage attendance and participation in company meetings to have the opportunity to engage with our whole team.

Codence embodies this value:

We are here to serve. We are a service business. It’s not about us. It is only through our relationships with clients and teammates that we make an impact that matters.

We encourage an environment where we serve one another. Anyone can post questions and receive quick, supportive answers and feedback. With a firsthand perspective, I can attest that Codence has created a supportive and responsive work environment, an undeniable value for an apprentice eager to learn and participate.

Develop New Skills

In this day in age, Software Development is a strong career path choice. We look for individuals who are interested and excited about pursuing this field of work. Custom software development requires someone who can think analytically, problem-solve, and piece together processes and code to produce results. The internet is full of resources for starting down the path of software development. We ask that apprentices have some acquaintance or familiarity with scripting: Javascript, CSS, or HTML. Beginner-level knowledge will allow a great launching pad into the work accomplished during the apprenticeship program.

Once hired, the apprentice will partner with the mentor to shift these interests into practical hands-on activities—participating in curriculum requirements of building a database and assisting our team with real projects. At the end of the apprenticeship, apprentices will be asked to share what they learned by leading a presentation of their newly developed database.

Resume Enhancement & Career Opportunity

Apprenticeships make a resume stand out in the stack. It shows a prospective employer that the candidate has practical, hands-on experience in a related field.

Apprenticeships give a personal story to tell. Interviewing for a job is much easier when someone has hands-on experience to reference. Specific experiences and actual examples to answer interview questions are much more valuable than hypothetical situations or answers. The goal of the interview is to earn trust, convey qualifications and give assurance that the employer would make the right decision in extending a job offer.

Apprenticeships at Codence go a step beyond. At the end of the training, we partner with our clients to grant a job offer upon completing the instruction portion of the apprenticeship. It is exciting to be a part of an apprentice’s journey from their first week of software development and then see them transition into a relevant role in their desired field of work.

Codence values investing in the next generation of developers. Apprenticeships allow a person to get their foot in the door in a valuable career, learn from skilled mentors, develop new skills, and enhance resume qualifications. If you are interesting in becoming an apprentice, please get in touch with us here. 

Looking for partnered employer information? Contact us here and we will be happy to get you connected with an Apprenticeship specialist.