Direct Line Group launches software engineering apprenticeship programme to help close the digital skills gap
Direct Line Group, one of the UK’s leading insurance providers, is offering twenty permanent software engineering apprenticeships to people who are looking for an alternative to university as the route to a great career.
The program, which is delivered in partnership with Multiverse, will kick off with a 12-week bootcamp, starting in June where the apprentices will gain the fundamental skills of software engineering. The apprentices, who will need some level of coding experience, will learn and apply in-demand technical skills across the full software development lifecycle.
Research has shown that the technology sector in the UK is facing a diversity issue as women and people from social mobility backgrounds are still very much in the minority. To address this problem, the recruitment process for Direct Line Group’s apprenticeship programme will be targeting candidates from these underrepresented groups.
Direct Line Group already provides around 160 apprentice opportunities across a variety of functions including customer service and data, insurance, vehicle repairs, project management and IT and is committed to investing in future skills as it builds an insurance company of the future.
Rhys Jones, Head of Engineering from Direct Line Group said: “When we set out our vision to create a world where insurance is personal, inclusive, and a force for good, we knew that to achieve this, we needed to become a company that is driven by technology and data – with customers firmly at the heart of everything we do. We now need to take our organisation further and to be successful relies on having brilliant and engaged people – with the right skills and capabilities to deliver market leading solutions for our customers. Investing more time, money and prioritisation in future skills is tightly bound to our strategy and future success.”
Training will be delivered by Multiverse, a start-up tech company building an outstanding alternative to university and corporate training through apprenticeships. The company announced the closing of a $130 million Series C funding round earlier this year and now trains over 5,000 tech, leadership and digital apprentices.
Multiverse matches talented individuals with careers and delivers world-class training in a wide range of qualifications in leadership, digital and technology. Apprentices benefit from one-to-one coaching with an industry expert and are supported by a thriving community with events, socials, mentoring and leadership programmes designed to exceed the best of the university experience.
Jeremy Duggan, president of Multiverse, said: “In this digital world, every company is now a tech company. It's incumbent on businesses to ensure their people have the right skills to drive impact. There is simply no better way to deliver those high-quality tech skills than through professional apprenticeships."
