Importance of creating Software Engineering Apprenticeships

Abstract

Because of the complexity and external influence susceptibility of the software development industry, many people joining (or re-joining) the industry, particularly entry-level developers, struggle to acclimate and achieve high productivity levels. A majority of these people find it challenging to understand customers, integrate into their organizations, adopt industry best practices, work in teams of professionals, write secure, scalable, and maintainable code, estimate project time, and are largely unaware of the challenges of deploying applications to production environments. Well-structured apprenticeship programs, with motivated mentors and measurable outcomes, can alleviate these challenges, help employers save on recruitment costs, and increase retention rates. Studies show that employers, employees & apprentices benefit from these programs; not to mention the positive ripple effect on the community at large.

Introduction

The software engineering industry is highly complex, extensive, and dynamic. The industry is constantly influenced by external forces such as rapid changes in technology, growing complexities in the market, and increasing software development challenges. Because of the intricate nature of the industry, it tends to be unfriendly to beginners, particularly those coming straight from college and coding boot camps. Most entry-level software engineers with no industry experience face challenges such as;

Lack of user understanding

The primary objective of software engineers is to develop products for end-users. To achieve this, the software development cycle must be user-centric. User centricity means applications must be developed per users' wants and specifications, even if users' opinions differ from those of the development team. Most novices struggle to understand just that and fall into the trap of thinking they know better, thus developing products that will not see the desired user adaptation. They also find it challenging balancing communication with customers and instead frequently limit their focus on writing code.

Integrating into the organization

Software development is an undertaking best suited for a team of professionals rather than an individual. Different people play varying roles. People who collect user requirements are likely not the ones who design the system. Similarly, engineers who write the code are not always the ones who test the system. For software engineers to collaborate efficiently, they must know participants in the project and their roles. New entrants in the industry may not know the roles of different job titles and can therefore find themselves in a position where they do not know the right people to consult or work with feeling “stuck” and isolated. Related to integration into the organization is the aspect of working on code written by other people. Most newcomers find it problematic working with code written by other people and would rather start over, which can severely impede collaboration and creates circumstances for waste.

Planning code

Most learning institutions teach how to code, but they do not pay attention to coding elements such as estimating, architecting, scale and performance testing, commenting, planning. Consequently, many entry-level software engineers can effectively write code but with poor readability that is not well tested, full of bugs, and unable to perform when stress tested. Again, this can hinder collaboration and acts as a vacuum chamber for productivity. It is also important to mention that most employers have their own style of creating software. New employees may not be conversant with employer-specific coding principles and styles, architecture, best practices, and general software development life cycle processes.

Security threats

Security is one of the most important qualities of a software system. It not only helps organizations to secure their systems from the prying eyes of competitors but also plays a significant role in protecting users from cyber-attacks. Despite the importance of security features in systems, most training institutions do not emphasize security in their teachings. Evidence suggests that most security units are theoretical. As a result, new entrants in the industry tend to overlook the importance of security when coding until there is a threat that has to be dealt with.

Time constraints

The software development industry is typically controlled by deadlines. Some organizations price their services based on time estimates required to finish the project. For joint projects, participating developers must be able to estimate the time needed to complete their tasks. Time estimation ability comes with experience. This means fresh software engineers are at risk of underestimating or overestimating the time needed to complete projects. This can lead to underpricing of projects and late completion of projects; ergo unhappy customers.

To mitigate challenges that inexperienced employees in the software engineering field face, modern companies are increasingly leveraging apprenticeship programs. Instead of offering talent direct full employment, employers are opting to upskill them first through on-the-job training. While some professionals may argue that apprenticeships are outdated, most of the leading tech companies like Google, Linkedln, WWT, and Airbnb still use apprenticeships to advance the knowledge of young professionals.

Although many people think apprenticeships are solely meant to benefit apprentices, research shows that these programs benefit both employers and employees.

Here is how apprenticeships benefit different parties.

Apprentice

Apprenticeships provide a golden opportunity for people from all walks of life; fresh graduates, people entering (or re-entering) the workforce, looking to make a career change, with or without a higher education degree. They enable everyone to learn many aspects of the industry before they can become fully employed. They serve as a middle ground where apprentices can learn all the necessary skills without feeling all the pressure of meeting business goals and expectations. In most cases, apprentices work alongside experts in the industry, learning the best practices and putting what they learn into real-life practice.

In the United States, software developer apprentices are paid by and large between $50,000 to $81,000 annually

By working and learning from experts, apprentices develop key software engineering skills like making accurate estimates, understanding user requirements and breaking them down into “bite-size” chunks of work, scope management, teamwork, writing secure and scalable code, and finally deploying that code onto a production environment for end-users. Apprenticeship programs can also help candidates learn the business side of software development, like engaging customers and responding to their needs. These programs also expedite the integration of new hires in the organization.

In most organizations, apprenticeship positions are salaried. Unlike internships where salaries are not guaranteed, candidates in apprenticeship positions are comparable to junior software engineers, meaning they quickly qualify for a salary equivalent to junior software engineers. In the United States, software developer apprentices are paid by and large between $50,000 to $81,000 annually. Finally, apprentices are better positioned to secure full-time employment if they put in enough time and effort. If they fail to secure full-time employment right away, having completed an apprenticeship from a well-known and respected organization, such as WWT, is still a great addition to their resume.

Employer

Employee recruitment is one of the most expensive processes in an organization. Jobvite asserts that about 33% of candidates usually leave within their first ninety days for other companies.

Apprentices tend to have a deep connection with their employers contributing to higher retention rates.

The traditional hiring process focuses on filling job positions but does not guarantee performance or a good cultural fit within the organization. Software engineering apprenticeship programs enable employers to test and verify the skills of prospective employees before offering them full-time employment. These programs also serve as avenues for imparting fundamental organizational values and practices to candidates before offering them employment. Apprentices tend to have a deep connection with their employers contributing to higher retention rates. Employers can leverage apprenticeship programs as a tool for discovering exceptional talents from the crowd.

Employees

In many companies, apprenticeships programs are tailored for capable talents from diverse backgrounds. For example, these programs can be structured to give people with disabilities a chance to enter the software development industry. They can also be structured to give precedence to people of color, different sexual orientations, cultures, and nontraditional backgrounds. With a diverse workforce, employees can learn from each other and appreciate people from different backgrounds.

By understanding and embracing difference we can help create an environment based on principles of fairness, dignity, equity, and respect.

Community

Successful tech apprenticeships have a direct impact on communities. They give talented community members opportunities to monetize their skills as they learn from experts. Also, these programs expand participants' income. Catalyte asserts that tech apprenticeships can increase income among participants by four times in just 5 years. Increasing household incomes can have a tangible positive ripple effect across the community that benefits everyone.

Conclusion

Hiring managers should feel strongly encouraged to change their recruitment paradigm and embrace apprenticeships creating an apprenticeship program as an additional direct source of talented software engineers. While there is a small upfront cost to this approach, it pales in comparison to the mid and long-term benefits in productivity gains, company culture, innovation potential, employee diversity, retention rates, and positive impact on the community at large.

Sources

US Department of Commerce (2016), The benefits and costs of apprenticeship: A business perspective. Retrieved From: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED572260.pdf

Jobvite (2018), Job Seeker Nation Study - Researching the Candidate-Recruiter Relationship. Retrieved From: https://www.jobvite.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/2018_Job_Seeker_Nation_Study.pdf 

Catalyte. Key benefits of software developer apprenticeships. Retrieved From: https://www.catalyte.io/software-developer-apprenticeship-benefits/

Dorian Smiley (2021), The Importance of Software Apprenticeships. Retrieved From: https://dorians.medium.com/the-importance-of-software-apprenticeships-d274a3183658

Farheen Shahzeb (2017), The 9 Most Common Problems New Programmers Face. Retrieved From: https://simpleprogrammer.com/9-common-problems-new-programmers-face/