For seven years now the entertainment company Sky UK has been taking on digital apprentices to work at its Livingston office. It’s a dream job for many, but it might surprise most to learn that technical digital skills are not at the top of their “must-have” recruitment list.

“We can teach them the technical skills, that’s not a problem,” explained Shona Finlayson, the much loved mother figure in charge of the apprentice programme.  “We’ve taken on people from a sports science background, teachers looking for a career change, and retail staff from Tesco and B&Q!

“What we look for in new apprentices is the softer meta-skills that mean they work well in a team, they can communicate effectively to give us their fresh and critical perspective on things – which we really welcome – and they should have the ability to think on their feet and just get stuck in.

“What we really need is passion. You either have that or you don’t. You can’t be taught it. You just feel it. If you have the passion, with any apprenticeship and with the right support and mentor, everything else will fall into place.”

So far 30 digital apprentices have come through the doors at Sky, from coders to data technicians to IT infrastructure managers, the vast majority of whom stay with Sky. Shona said: “I only remember one person choosing to leave in the last four years since I’ve held this post.” Which is probably why an apprentice role at Sky is so coveted by so many people.

Shona also believes teaching people on the job is not only valuable for each individual apprentice, it’s also valuable for established staff. “The very act of explaining something makes you and them question how and why we do what we do. That is really healthy. No one individual has all the answers, and working with apprentices makes you see things in a different light. Every day these apprentices make a positive difference to their colleagues and the business.”

Recommended

• Comment | The search for marketing technology talent
• CanDo Innovation Summit | Resilience, sustainability, and inclusivity
• Scotland can build on its history of innovation to boost post-Covid recovery

To reinforce the fact that a non-tech background is welcome, we spoke to Adele Smith and Ailie Henderson who are currently both technology apprentices with Sky. They both worked in different call centres before applying for the digital apprentice roles, and both agreed it’s been an amazing experience.

Adele believes her proven ability at the call centre to get “stuck in”, along with her communication and collaboration skills,  were seen as more important than the lack of technical skills. She started as a developer, went on to be an analyst, and finally landed on being a tester. “Proof that the company lets individuals experience all parts of the business as an apprentice,” she added.

“I think they saw my determination to get things done, and to learn how to get things done if needed. Sky is so good at supporting us with the development of the technical skills that it’s absolutely not essential to be a ‘geek’ to work in tech here.”

Ailie reaffirmed that the lack of technical skills is not an issue. She said: “Building code is very similar to building a wall. You can easily learn how to do it if you apply yourself, and the more you do it the better you get. But you don’t need that technical knowledge to get started, you just need a passion to learn.”

DIGIT’S 2021 #virtualevents calendar:

📅 #MarTech Summit https://t.co/JkViHnOzbF Wed 24 Feb
📅 ScotSecure #CyberSecurity Summit https://t.co/JaD886wGh9 24/ 25 Mar
📅 #DigitalEnergy Summit https://t.co/thGSfrBqlM 22 Apr
📅 DIGIT #Leader Summit https://t.co/alC1xjRvtW 26 May pic.twitter.com/XXGqh5Braw

— DIGIT (@digitfyi) January 18, 2021

That wasn’t the only thing the two enthusiastic employees agreed on. Both also said another reason why they enjoy working with Sky is that the organisation encourages them to smash the stereotypes associated with digital tech careers.

“Obviously we can’t go into schools right now, but I used to love going in and talking to pupils about why tech is an exciting a place no matter your gender. And it really made a difference, you could see young girls realising that a real job in tech was as far removed from the grungy geeky stereotypes as could be.”

When asked what advice Shona would give employers looking to take on their first apprentice, she enthused: “Just do it. Don’t hesitate to do it. It’s not just an amazing experience watching young people grow into their roles, you also get to work with talent than can genuinely re-energise your business and make a tangible difference to your innovation, creativity and ultimately bottom-line results.”

To find out how a digital apprenticeships can help your business, visit apprenticeship.scot and/or Digital World.