Choosing a career is one of the most difficult choices to make, with so many options and pathways to explore. If you are interested in technology and computers, then maybe a career in software is something to consider. Software development is a vast field and one that is creative, demanding and extremely rewarding, and maybe you want to find out more. If this sounds like you, Yokogawa Marex has provided work experience opportunities to bring the job you have read about to life.
Over the years, Yokogawa Marex based in Cowes has offered young and aspiring talent opportunities for work experience. They have built a track record and proved successful in providing students with insight and experience within an office environment, mentoring students and offering expertise in Software Development and Information Technology. Yokogawa Marex understands the value and importance of fostering young talent as the next generation of Software Developers and Engineers are the future.
Perusing a career in Software Development is highly beneficial as it’s a profession in high demand, constantly at the fore front of technology as it adapts to an innovative, fast-paced environment. Working for a global company such as Yokogawa will draw interest from employers when viewing the CV and LinkedIn of an individual who has gained hands-on experience with a well-known reputable company with a global footprint.
Offering Insight to Aspiring Students
Yokogawa Marex are known for taking in students that range from different ages and at different levels, overseen by accomplished Software Developers who help guide and inspire students. By being in our office environment, it provides hand-on experience giving great insight into the day-to-day schedules and activities of staff. Students will have a real practical experience of what it is really like to work for Software Company and how new and innovative technologies are being used in our advanced software solutions to support our customer needs.
Students who are 16 and undergoing their GCSEs receive an introduction to software development. This can be over the course of a single day or extended to cover a working week. They will get a feel for the office environment (which may be the first time for some), an idea of how Software Developers work and understand the basics of code. Students currently studying A-Levels will gain a deeper understanding of software development with more technical insight.
Work experience provides students the opportunity to see for themselves how an Island-based company can have a huge global presence in a highly competitive market. Yokogawa Marex provides an environment where students can liaise with engineers to understand the qualifications needed to pursue a career in Software Development and the exciting prospect of seeking higher education to develop to a professional level.
Furthering Development through Career Advice and Expertise
For students who have had little or no interview experience, it can be a daunting prospect to
be invited for an interview in your first professional role. Yokogawa Marex has conducted mock interviews for students where they can get a feel for the process and the type of questions that they may be asked.
Feedback is a great way to improve personally, sharing advice on what companies are looking for in new recruits, from the right attitude to the knowledge and qualifications needed in order to excel in software development. In addition, students can learn how to enhance their CV and make it more effective and attractive to potential employers.
Career fairs are a great way to interact with different companies around the Island and Yokogawa Marex regularly attends these events so students can talk and discuss more about software and what it is like to work for a software company. It’s also another great way for staff to share their career paths, including qualifications and experience they have which has enabled them to reach a successful career in software.
Opportunities for Hands-On Experience with Qualifications through Apprenticeship Schemes
Yokogawa Marex invests in local talent by offering apprenticeship schemes. One member of staff was part of a government scheme in association with the Isle of Wight College for a role in IT. Work is assigned and allocated by a course tutor from the college, with Yokogawa IT staff supporting and guiding the apprentice with important tasks and projects. It’s a great way to get hands-on experience in a dynamic workplace whilst also gaining relevant qualifications from educational institutions. Since completing the apprenticeship, the IT student is now a valued member of the IT team supporting the critical IT infrastructure and the members of the team with IT issues.
One of the Software Developers is undertaking a Software Development Degree Apprenticeship. It’s a fantastic opportunity for a member of staff to go to University in Southampton to study one day per week whilst also working for the other 4 days, offering the chance to get paid to learn! Not only does the Apprentice Software Developer gain valuable hands-on experience, but it also allows the individual to develop personally with the added knowledge a degree brings. Working at degree level, the apprentice gets to take on live projects, working closely with the software development and test team, playing a key role in helping to meet customer needs as well as company briefs and goals.
The Apprentice Software Developer adds: “The apprenticeship at Yokogawa Marex has provided me with an excellent opportunity to learn and improve my technical skills through the practical side for the role. I feel I have also improved on my personal skills such as team work, initiative, time management and confidence.”
“At times it can be challenging, particularly in balancing the work-study time but I use my time efficiently to complete my University assignments and work projects. The course I am studying is intellectually stimulating, this semester we are covering Artificial Intelligence and Mobile Application Development. Often the course subjects overlap with projects at work and I can use the knowledge I have gained whist studying to help me understand real-world issues.”
Enhancing Higher Education – taking on talented students from universities
Yokogawa Marex often has Degree level and HND students join the team during non-term time, usually as a summer placement where they become an integral part of a team, working on key projects under the supervision of knowledgeable Software Developers. This is a valuable opportunity to learn how to engage and develop professionally as well as helping with their studies to give them relevant and applied knowledge outside of lectures.
Placement students can get a feel for the positive impact Yokogawa Marex has on their customers overseas, working on vital solutions for well-known and recognised brands in the process industries. This provides university students with valuable experiences, allowing them to stand out and have a competitive edge against other graduates who may not have had any practical work experience.
Yokogawa Marex aspires to break the opinion that graduates need to stay on the mainland to secure a professional career in Software Development. It is in fact possible to work on the Island and enjoy a great work/life balance whist also progressing in a successful career within a global company. Recently, Yokogawa Marex hired a Graduate Software Developer fresh from the University of Reading during the height of the pandemic, who had worked with us over the previous summer. They added, “Everyone at Yokogawa Marex has been very friendly and helpful in getting me up to speed since I started, and I'm looking forward to applying skills learnt at university, including modules on data science and database management to the Exaquantum Applications."
Yokogawa Marex, the go to company for kick-starting your career in Software Development
Yokogawa Marex believes they have an important role to play within the Island business community, seeing the value of investing in young and local talent. They can oversee the personal and professional development at an individual level, fostering talent within the work environment to further careers. Students who have undertaken work experience with Yokogawa Marex have gone onto securing a successful career or have joined the company and now play a vital role within the team, proving that you don’t need to leave the Island to have a global outreach and demonstrates the impact an Island business can have on a global level.
During this unprecedented time, it has not been possible to take on any new aspiring students. But we look forward to welcoming students back into the office when it is safe to do so in order to continue to encourage and inspire the next generation of Software Developers.
