After four years, current and former apprentices make up a fifth of UKFast’s team, with many working on projects delivering and supporting cutting-edge technology solutions to some of the biggest global brands. Candidates completing the two-year course have a 100% employment rate within the innovative tech firm. Apprentices earn up to £16,000 a year while gaining qualifications and have the opportunity to earn significantly more upon graduation.
UKFast CEO Lawrence Jones said: “What we're seeing in our apprenticeships is that the candidates maintain the momentum they have after leaving school. This gives them a massive opportunity to hit the ground running and to be in a significantly better financial position than they would have been if they’d gone to university. £100,000 better off after three years in some cases!
“We see apprentices developing at UKFast at an amazing rate and they’re now truly invaluable to our workforce. It’s a great partnership too, as they learn on the job whilst helping us deliver the skills needed across the entire tech industry. It’s also an amazing opportunity to get into a sector that’s offering the strongest wage growth across the board.”
Apprentices do part of their induction in UKFast’s training property in Snowdonia, with activities including raft building and climbing Mount Snowdon. The hosting firm is renowned for its unusual perks, including ski trips to the founders’ hotel in Verbier, incentives to Las Vegas and an annual music festival, which last year featured chart-topper Example.
Jones continued: “Apprenticeships and technical, hands-on education really is critical. University is not for everyone and apprenticeships now offer a fantastic and credible alternative to traditional further education, at a time when tuition fees are rising dramatically.
“We do apprenticeships slightly differently at UKFast. We've created a dedicated learning environment with full-time, ex-public sector teachers and invested huge amounts of time, money and energy into these young people. They deserve the very best start in life and that’s exactly what we give them.”