We recently sat down with Aarushi, a Degree Apprentice at Microsoft, and her mentor, Simon, to explore their apprenticeship experience and the impact it is having.
Aarushi is almost a year into her Digital and Technology Solutions Professional Degree Apprenticeship, where she is completing the IT Consultancy pathway.
She shares how she was drawn to the apprenticeship route because it offered practical work experience from the outset, alongside the opportunity to earn a degree and a salary, aligning with her career and personal aspirations.
“What really attracted me to this pathway specifically is realising that I get to do some practical work straight away.”
“I just wanted to step out of my comfort zone”
With six pathways available within the Digital and Technology Solutions Professional Degree Apprenticeship, Simon highlights the particular value that the IT Consultancy pathway brings to Microsoft.
“The IT consultant pathway is valuable because it develops people who can bridge business need and technology delivery. So framing problems, managing stakeholders, assessing risk, and turning our digital capability into a measurable customer and organisational outcome.”
“I think it ultimately, it just makes us a much more capable and stronger technology and advisory organisation… We have people who are early in careers joining our organisation, bringing a fresh perspective, new perspectives, and perhaps different learning mindsets”
With a strong apprenticeship strategy in place, Microsoft understands the value of apprenticeships, across the business. Simon reflects on the fresh perspective and energy that apprentices bring.
“It creates that early talent pipeline of fresh perspective, you know, real strong energy and excitement and new capacity into our business.”
“It's a privilege for us to be given the responsibility to help to nurture our apprentices in this fashion.”
Within her first year at Microsoft, Aarushi has already contributed to several large projects, demonstrating the value she is bringing to her role and to the wider organisation.
On one project, she supported a manufacturing client to introduce AI tools responsibly for early career employees, she used her own apprentice perspective to connect effectively and provide tailored insight.
“I thought of that as an opportunity to just connect with the customer on a level that's more applicable to me”
Aarushi reflects on how her developed knowledge of analytics, problem solving, project management and technical concepts enabled her to “understand how to break down complex topics and communicate to them clearly.”
Similarly, Simon shares how her involvement of a session at Microsoft’s annual Work Trend Index (a report on how AI is impacting people in theworkplace and changing the way people work) resulted in meaningful reflection by business leaders.
“Aarushi spoke to Microsoft's annual Work Trend Index. One example was a short and sweet and succinct session, but hugely provocative. It made the IT leaders in the room and the business leaders in the room effectively re-contemplate what they thought was just normal working practises… An apprentice, an IT consultant, early in their career to have that type of...impact on a person in one of our customer organisations, and for them to take that away and then contemplate how they leverage technology, how they leverage AI, how they evaluate the purchase of our products such as Copilot, that has a meaningful, grounded impact in our business.”
Throughout her degree so far, Aarushi has built key skills that have enabled development within her role and project delivery - “over time, being part of the customer discussions, seeing how Microsoft works with our customers, I feel like I've learned the value of slowing down and really listening to the customer.”
Less than a year in, the feedback that Aarushi is receiving from her mentor Simon, is a testament to her dedication and enthusiasm.
“It's great to see persons at such a young age having such an impact in a technology company of our global size. I mean, I can't imagine doing the things Aarushi and her colleagues have done at their age.”
Speaking directly to Aarushi, he shares “ I think we've barely touched the surface of what you're capable of as a consultant, as a technologist, and as a leader. And I think you have amazing things ahead of you.”
Aarushi reflects on the support she has received by her TDM coaches across both her skills development and personal growth.
“It has been absolutely amazing. Super, super supportive... I love the fact that they cover the skill side of the things as well as personal development… helping me understand what skills I'm gaining, what skills do I need to improve. And at the same time… helping me with the balancing things like mental health, am I progressing in the right direction? What are my next steps?”
Simon also highlights the structured approach behind Aarushi’s learning plan and the value of aligning it with Microsoft’s own development activity.
“It's been great to see how well structured and formed the TDM framework and the way you approach the work based learning and skilling and evidencing to the way Microsoft works itself…
It's very methodically put together to enable Microsoft to work almost in synergy with that and build out our own learning and development plan.”
Join Microsoft as one of TDM’s employer partners - get in touch to learn how our Digital and Technology Solutions Professional Degree Apprenticeships can help develop your future IT consultancy talent.
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