Do you have an inquisitive mind, always seeking to find solutions to problems and trying out the latest technology? Do you think you could be the next up and coming ninja coder?

About Virya Group

We are an innovative forward-thinking technology business which specialises in Open Source technologies. We work with local businesses and international organisations, and we’re good at what we do. We mostly work in HTML, CSS, Javascript and PHP and while we speak many languages, we’re most proficient in geek. We’re based in Ipswich, near to several thriving sanghas.

We’re currently recruiting this year’s apprentice intake, which includes a Web Development Apprentice who will work alongside our Development Team on a range of projects, from triaging support requests and fixing bugs to writing new extensions and working on website development projects.

About you

We’re looking for people who have an interest in web development and who have started out with learning some basic programming languages - maybe you've had a go at creating websites, started to learn about PHP and other Object-Oriented programming languages or have some skills with other coding languages - but fundamentally you absolutely must have a thirst for keeping up with the latest and greatest that the world of coding offers, and a strong ‘can do’ attitude, taking the initiative to explore what’s out there in the land of software development.

What we do

We are a full-service agency, so alongside offering software development we also provide a range of other services including design, marketing, search engine optimisation and training.  You'll need to be confident communicating with a wide range of people, from your fellow web developers to our sales teams, copywriters and graphic designers.  You'll also need to be able to communicate well with your project managers and eventually with clients themselves.  We don’t expect you to know every acronym going or be fully clued-up on the latest web development trends, but we do expect you to show some initiative if you don’t know something, and be willing to learn from those around you.  We also expect you to be willing to share your knowledge with the rest of the team, helping everybody grow together.

The apprenticeship

We have developed an apprenticeship training scheme over the past few years, so you’ll be put through your paces in a wide range of areas, starting off with the basic fundamentals of software development and then spreading your wings into some more fun stuff (not that the basics aren’t fun, but there’s even more fun to come!).  Everybody likes fun stuff, right!  

You will undertake several periods of training during your apprenticeship which gives you a strong grounding in the principles of software development and an opportunity to learn other programming languages such as Java.  You'll also have a chance to meet other apprentices who are following the same programme - this training will be based in London.

Other opportunities

Part of the way we offer dana is to volunteer our time and knowledge to help Open Source projects thrive - we’ll be involving you in the development of some of the largest open source projects on the planet - this is a great opportunity to work with incredibly talented developers from all over the world on a project which directly touches the lives of millions of people.  We also encourage our apprentices to get involved in local groups which support developers - this helps widen your knowledge and form important contacts within the industry.

As part of your personal development plan, you’ll be expected to regularly set yourself achievable goals and demonstrate how you’re meeting them, and as your training progresses we’ll be setting you some real-world goals in some of the projects we are working on.

If you show us that you have an interest, passion and drive to succeed, we will give you the opportunities to get involved in some super exciting stuff.  Like attending conferences around the world and leading your own projects.  You won’t be bored, that’s for sure!

Your responsibilities

Your key responsibilities during your apprenticeship will be to learn, but we will not be spoon feeding you all the way.  We expect you to listen, ask questions, try things out, and let your imagination take you wherever you might want to go.  Whether it means coding up an innovative solution to a client's problem or writing a script to warn us when the coffee is running out, we thrive on innovation and we will support you in whatever you find interesting.

Toward the end of your apprenticeship we’ll let you manage a project yourself right from the first sales meeting, which will be a challenge.  You’ll be dealing with scoping the project, designing the work plan, identifying what expertise is needed to deliver the project, drawing up timelines and budgets, liaising with the customer, building a team to work on the project, organising regular meetings and preparing reports, managing change requests, and then finally launching the project.  Sounds scary?  We’ll support you all the way with training both in-house and externally to be the best at what you do.

If you are interested in finding out more, please email ruth.cheesley@viryagroup.com or call 01473 852134.  To apply for this apprenticeship, please click here.