Degree Apprentice Dialogues: Connell Parker
As part of our series focusing on apprenticeships, skills and the creation of a green workforce, we spoke to Connell Parker about his experiences of being part of E.ON’s degree apprenticeship scheme.
Connell, aged 22, has just completed his Digital Technology degree apprenticeship specialising in Software Engineering while studying at Nottingham Trent University.
How did you decide on your education and career path?
When I was younger, I really enjoyed coding and playing around with technology so I always knew that I would try something computer science, and when I saw E.ON’s Digital Technology scheme, it was a perfect match.
Why did you choose E.ON?
I chose E.ON as it feels great going into the office and knowing that I’m actually making a difference in the world. As part of my degree apprenticeship, I’ve moved around all the different departments within Digital Technology which has been great as I’ve learnt about so many different roles that I never knew existed. Throughout the scheme, I’ve worked in architecture, understanding our applications and how our systems work, security, data and more.
What have you enjoyed most about the scheme?
The thing I’ve most enjoyed is the range of things you can do and the opportunities at E.ON. Because E.ON is such a big company, you can suggest new things and have an impact whilst also trying new things yourself.
What have the main challenges been?
I initially I found it quite hard to learn to balance work and studying, as time went on it grew easier. My big tip is to keep on top of it and not let the work build up.
Where are you working now?
I recently completed the apprenticeship and am now working in ‘Tiny Digital Things’, helping to fix tiny digital issues across the business and upskill people in the process.
How would you sum up your overall experience?
If I had to sum up my time so far at E.ON, I’d say it’s been fun, exciting and new and my advice to anyone considering applying for a degree apprenticeship is to just do it – you get the best of both worlds – for free!