Success story5 November 2025
This autumn, our employer partners Royal London, Bank of America, Deloitte, HSBC, ClearScore, Bloomberg and Sirulute welcomed their newest cohorts of technology apprentices through our Launchpad programme. Delivered across London, Manchester and Sheffield, Launchpad serves as the critical foundation of the apprenticeship journey, marking the start of a transformation from entry level talent to workplace ready technical contributors.
Not sure what Launchpad is? Find out more on our Launchpad page.
Establishing Technical Foundations
The programmes first week immersed apprentices in the essential project management methodologies that underpin modern software development. From Agile and Scrum frameworks to Waterfal approaches, apprentices gained practical understanding of how these methodologies translate into a workplace environment. This foundation extended into user experience principles, interface design and prototyping techniques that prepare them to contribute meaningfully to product development life cycles.
Industry engagement began immediately in London. Aitor Quintana, Librarian at Westminster Council presented apprentices with a real world challenge. How could they leverage technology to enhance library services across the borough? This assignment formed the bases of their SDLC capstone project. Abhijat Alok, Principal Consultant from PA Consulting followed with practical insights into Software Development Life Cycle principles, contextualising technical theory within actual workplace scenarios. These sessions help to ensure apprentices understand not just the ‘how’ but the ‘why’ behind dev practices that organisations rely on daily.
Developing Programming Competency
Week two marked the transition into hands on programming with Python, establishing the technical bedrock for the apprenticeship journey. Apprentices engaged with core programming principles including code comprehension, version control through GitHub, function development, iteration structures and pseudocode documentation. The focus remained firmly practical, by weeks end, apprentices were building and testing functional programs to solve complex computational problems.
This technical progression accelerated through week three with Object Oriented programming and string manipulation, developing the modular thinking and code architecture skills essential for enterprise development. Apprentices participated in cross-campus networking aligned with Ada Lovelace Day, building peer networks that will support their professional development throughout their careers. The Manchester cohort also benefited from specialised knowledge transfer when Ash Grennan, Senior Software Engineer from Moonpig delivered an industry session on recommendation systems engineering, exposing apprentices to advanced applications of the foundational skills they were developing.
Applying Industry Standard Practices
By week four, apprentices were demonstrating genuine technical capability. Programming assignments required them to apply Object Oriented Programming principles to multi dimensional datasets, mirroring the many complexities they’ll encounter in production environments. Many apprentices progressed beyond guided exercises to author their own tests, having internalised Test Driven Dev principles from earlier modules.This shift from instruction following to independent problem solving is integral to program and apprentice development.
The programme maintained its industry connections throughout. Asher DeSouza an Ada alumnus now a Software Engineer at ClearScore, shared insights into career progression post completion, helping apprentices better understand the long term trajectory of their apprenticeship time investment. These touchpoints are vital, ensuring apprentices view their development through a professional lens from the outset.
Delivering Business Value
The final week brings the launchpad programme full circle. London apprentices visited Westminster City Council for stakeholder engagement and requirements gathering, applying the SDLC framework introduced in week one to their capstone projects. Manchester apprentices participated in financial literacy training delivered by The Money Charity, ensuring they manage their new professional salaries effectively and establish sound financial foundations early in their careers.
Launchpad concluded with technical presentations by all apprentices to industry partners and employer representatives. These presentations demonstrated not only some of the technical capabilities apprentices had developed, but also their ability to communicate complex technical concepts to diverse stakeholders. A critical competency in any technology role!
Workforce Ready Talent
Launchpad Transforms new apprentices into contributors who understand technical environments before joining teams. Apprentices arrive with practical Python skills, familiarity with Agile and scrum methodologies, experience with version control systems and exposure to testing practices that support code quality. Equally important, they understand professional communication, stakeholder management, and business context.
The London and Manchester cohorts have now transitioned to employer placements, with Sheffield apprentices completing their programme this week. Each apprentice brings standardised foundational competencies while remaining ready to absorb their employers tech stack and development practices. This combination of prepared capability and continued learning capacity represents the value proposition of the apprenticeship model.
As these apprentices begin contributing to their technology teams, they carry forward not just technical skills, but an understanding of professional practice, industry standards and the collaborative approaches that drive successful development. That’s the Launchpad difference.
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