Storm Academy: Partnerships and future development
In the final instalment of blogs introducing Storm Academy, we focus on our academic partners and the future of the academy.
There has been an increase in the demand for diverse and adaptive skill sets in Scotland in recent years and here at Storm ID we developed an emerging talent strategy to attract, grow and retain talent to provide an avenue into a career in technology.
Our mentors have helped implement this strategy and assisted in designing the work-based learning curriculum. To further strengthen this initiative, we partnered with two providers to assist with the academic learning of our apprentices. Our partnerships with Edinburgh Napier University and QA have been fundamental in the development of Storm Academy’s emerging talent programme.
Storm Academy’s partnerships
We caught up with two of our academic partners to talk through their input into the Storm Academy.
Scott Killen, our Graduate Apprenticeship Partner, from Edinburgh Napier University, began working with Storm Academy in early 2022. He complimented Storm Academy, as we embed apprenticeships into the company culture, and allow our apprentices to partake in live projects from early on in their employment. This approach only accelerates the learning and development of the apprentices whilst providing a level of autonomy.
Scott praises the Storm Academy initiative and brings attention to apprenticeships as a fantastic opportunity to "earn whilst you learn."
"Apprenticeships have the potential to play a central role in responding to skills shortages, adapting to change, and driving economic growth. Storm have embraced the opportunity, built a strong support network, and put in place plans for professional development."
Samantha Bain, from QA, who is our Modern Apprentice Academic Partner, began working with Storm Academy at the end of 2022. At QA, Samantha is committed to promoting and developing the benefits that modern apprenticeships can offer individuals who are looking to get started in the technology industry.
"It has been a pleasure to work with Storm, as they've truly embraced continuous learning and professional development from the moment the employee joins the company. The level of support and opportunities to gain experience on live projects is a fantastic initiative. It allows modern apprentices to flourish both in their professional development but also with skills such as time management and organisation."
"As Storm are an award-winning digital consultancy, we were delighted to work with them. QA are at the forefront of digital and IT apprenticeships and the opportunity that Storm presented us with was a perfect fit."
The future of Storm Academy
The future of the Storm Academy looks bright, we hope to continue to grow and develop our employees through the apprenticeship programme.
Here at Storm Academy, we are committed to supporting the continued growth of introducing apprenticeship opportunities into more departments within the business. We have already seen the benefits of our apprentices working on live projects and the valuable insights that they provide. The professional development within the first six months and the feedback from colleagues have been extremely positive, whilst also providing the apprentices with a variety of skills as they balance academic learning and employment.
Storm Academy would like to raise a greater awareness of modern and graduate apprenticeships, which are open to all ages and disciplines. We believe that a diverse workforce aids new ideas, ways of working and allows us, as a business, to continually establish fresh ways of thinking and innovation.
The success of Storm Academy is a testament to the apprentices themselves, their mentors, who offer continued support and guidance, alongside our academic partners. Thank you for making the first year of the academy such a success and we look forward to working with you all in the future.