Software Development Technician: Level 4 Apprenticeship

These will be determined and agreed between the employer and Nescot. However, it is likely to include A’ Levels, or a relevant Level 3 apprenticeship qualification, or other relevant qualifications, relevant experience and/or an aptitude test with a focus on functional maths, a Level 3 apprenticeship or other relevant qualification/s and experience, or an aptitude test with a focus on IT skills.

You will need to have achieved GCSEs at grade 9 - 4 (or comparable qualification) in English and maths. Please note, you will also be required to undertake an initial assessment prior to enrolment in order to assess your current level of English and maths. Your interviewer will discuss with you what minimum level you will need to achieve at initial assessment.

Whilst your technical skills and knowledge will develop over the course of your Apprenticeship you will also need to demonstrate to potential employers that you possess the relevant skills and personal qualities and are willing to work and learn.

To begin this course you must be eligible to work within England or the European Economic Area (EEC) and be employed for a minimum of 30 hours in a relevant job role and be able to attend college on a part-time basis. Your employer must commit to supporting you throughout your apprenticeship and provide on-the-job learning as well as your college based off-the-job learning.

If you do not have an employer to support your apprenticeship the college will support you to find an employer through our dedicated employer support team.

Please note, you may also be required to undertake an initial assessment prior to enrolment in order to assess your current level of English and Maths. Your interviewer will discuss with you want minimum level you will need to achieve at initial assessment.

The course will prepare the apprentice for employment roles such as an Application developer, Mobile application developer, Software developer or Web developer

A 5% employer contribution fee may be applicable depending on the age of the apprentice and the size of your organisation.

This program of study and assessment will run over 8 terms. Apprentices will attend 1 full day of college a month.

Lessons will take place in a dedicated network lab with relevant equipment for practical work.

In addition, apprentices will be supported online to study web-based training modules and simulation tools.

In the first term apprentices will study:

• Taking and interpreting given software development requirements to estimate effort to deliver the work product to enable accurate costs to be established.
• Breaking software development activities down into logical units of work to enable sequencing and ensure the best possible structuring of activities to deliver a high quality product right first time.
• Reporting progress accurately throughout the development life-cycle stages to ensure adequate audit trails of key worksteps such that the organisation can demonstrate how the product has been created for quality and commercial purposes.

In the second term apprentices will study:

• Identifying and reporting any impediments to software development activities and proposing practical solutions.
• Converting customer requirements into technical requirements, both functional and non-functional to ensure that customers' expectations are accurately reflected in the software products developed.
• Identifying and selecting the most appropriate technical solution, taking into consideration coding best practice and appropriate quality standards.

In the third term apprentices will study:

• Communicating software development solutions to a range of internal or external stakeholders to ensure clear understanding of requirements and how they have been met or adjusted.
• Considering security implications of proposed design to ensure that security considerations are built in from inception and throughout the development process.
• Writing logical and maintainable software solutions to meet the design and organisational coding standards (Software Development Lifecycle -Implementation and Build phase).

In the fourth term apprentices will study:

• Applying security best practice to the software solution throughout the software development life-cycle.
• Creating and maintaining appropriate project documentation to explain the development process and resources used.
• Applying appropriate recovery techniques to ensure the software solution being developed is not lost (Software Development Lifecycle -Implementation and Build phase).

In the fifth term apprentices will study:

• Implementing appropriate change control to ensure that software development changes may be tracked and quality risks managed.
• Undertaking unit testing of solutions, with appropriate levels of test code coverage, to identify and, where necessary, resolve issues (Software Development Lifecycle -Implementation and Build phase).

In the sixth term apprentices will study:

• Perfoming testing of the software solution to ensure a high quality output (Software Development Lifecycle -Test phase).
• Delivering a suitably documented deployable solution to the customer for their use (Software Development Lifecycle -Deploy phase).

In the seventh term apprentices will study:

• Supporting delivery of one or more software deployment phases, such as trials and final release, to ensure that software developer outcomes are deployed correctly.
• Providing support during software trials and after final release to ensure that customers understand and can correctly apply the product, and risks are mitigated.

In the final term apprentices will study:

• Responding appropriately to given Service Level Agreements (SLAs) to ensure that time and resources invested in software development activity are allocated appropriately to deliver good customer service.
• Applying suitable 'bug fix', appropriate to the severity and priority of the software development issue identified.
• Practicing continuous self learning to keep up to date with technological developments to enhance relevant skills and take responsibility for own professional development.

NESCOT has experienced software development staff and fully equipped computing labs

We have been delivering software development apprenticeships since 2011

Disclaimer:

This Nescot College website describes the facilities and courses which the College intends to offer during the academic year commencing Autumn 2024. The web pages are prepared in advance of the academic year to which they relate and every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in these pages is helpful, fair and accurate at the time of printing. However, this information is subject to change over time.

Nescot will take reasonable steps to provide the courses and services as described, however, the College cannot guarantee the provision of any course or facility. Some circumstances, such as staff changes, resource limitations and other factors over which the College has no control, such as industrial action or a change in the law or the level of demand for a particular programme or module (please note that this list is non-exhaustive), may result in the College having to withdraw or change aspects of the programmes, modules and/or student services detailed on the website. This could include, but not necessarily be limited to, programme/module content, staffing, the location where the programme/module is taught or the manner of teaching delivery, and the facilities provided to deliver or support the programme. Where circumstances demand an unavoidable change or where it is necessary for the College to discontinue a programme of study, Nescot will take all reasonable steps to minimise the effect and all proposed changes will be notified to potential applicants who have registered an interest in the relevant programme at the earliest possible opportunity as well as being reflected on the College’s website. In addition, any changes between the website and the proposed course and services will be notified to applicants at the time of making an offer.

All prices quoted may be subject to change and you will be notified of any such change when any offer of a place is made to you by Nescot.

Should you become a student of the College, this notice shall be a term of any contract between you and Nescot. Any offer of a place at the College shall be subject to the student enrolment conditions and the College’s rules and regulations as amended from time to time. A copy of the Nescot’s current terms and conditions can be obtained in writing from Nescot, Quality Office, Reigate Road, Ewell, Epsom, Surrey, KT17 3DS.

Last updated - 08/08/2024