Thomas Egan, Aegon
Thomas Egan began his career with Aegon in 2016. When he noticed the opportunity to undertake a Graduate Apprenticeship with the firm, he knew this could only enhance his ambitions for a career in the IT industry.
Thomas said: “I was really eager to push on and build a career in a more IT-based area. When I saw that Aegon was recruiting for Graduate Apprentices in Cyber Security, I knew this was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.”
Balancing work alongside studies can be challenging but, for Thomas, these two environments offered the perfect combination and flexibly to learn and grow. He added: “On top of this work I had been given revision time to work on projects for university and study for upcoming tests.
“I’m consistently being trained on new processes and learning new things about my job – both in my work and at university – it’s very demanding but I’m really enjoying the challenge.”
According to Thomas, his Graduate Apprenticeship is an ideal way to gain a sound understanding of the theory and build up important practical skills. He said: “I think that’s what I love most about my job, that I’m learning something new on a daily basis. Every day is different in its own way, and you never have that
“groundhog day” feeling.
“The balance between work and university is great. I am getting the opportunity to put the theory I learn into practice straight away.”
Thomas has already experienced the benefits of his Graduate Apprenticeship and is keen to make others aware of these opportunities in the IT sector and beyond:
“If there’s an opportunity for Graduate Apprenticeships coming up in an area you are interested in working in, I could not stress how highly I would encourage you to go for it. I would recommend any Graduate Apprenticeship as a great foundation for a career in the relevant sector.”
Alan Woodrow is in charge of apprenticeships at Aegon in Edinburgh. He said: “The Graduate Apprenticeship programme is designed around the needs of our business, so we know, from experience, that Thomas will be able to put the theory he’s learning into practice very quickly, and that’s a win-win situation for both the Apprentices and the business.”
Aegon gives all staff the opportunity to use apprenticeships as a pathway of development and since 2014 over 240 people have successfully completed an apprenticeship.
For further information about how work-based learning could help you, your staff or your business visit Apprenticeships.Scot.