A pilot undergraduate year in industry programme has celebrated the success of its first year, which has seen three quarters of participating students receiving employment offers from some of Wales’ leading technology businesses.

The Welsh Government-backed Undergraduate Year in Industry pilot project was developed and implemented by the ESTnet, the technology network for Wales, to produce sought-after ‘work ready graduates’ with key employability skills for careers in the fast-growing Welsh electronics and software industry.

In its first year the programme provided 13 second year students from the University of South Wales and Cardiff University with a full-time work placement and a minimum wage of £15,000 with some of Wales’ most successful technology businesses.

At the same time, the students benefitted from employability skills training to build their confidence and competitive edge while also creating a network of the next generation of tech graduates.

The majority of placements were provided by companies from within Wales’ burgeoning SME technology community.

That list included the social media analytics experts at Blurrt, travel technology specialists Comtec, digital transformation specialists DevOpsGuys, the web design specialists at eInifnity, innovative software consultancy Method4, and multinational managed security service provider Alert Logic.

The placements were specifically designed by industry experts to allow each student the chance to develop valuable real-world industry experience and employability skills, while working as fully-integrated members of each business.

The pilot scheme also provided formal training and the ability to gain sought-after qualifications from the Institute of Leadership and Management.

The programme’s first year has resulted in 75 per cent of participating students receiving conditional offers of employment upon graduation. Each student will now return to university to complete the third and final year of their respective courses.

Ellie Lancaster, manager of talent management services UK at Alert Logic, said: “Our partnership with the pilot programme has been extremely positive. While our US operation already had an established internship programme, here in the UK we had only recently started internships.

“The ESTnet’s involvement at this early stage has been very beneficial. The support to obtain funding, the implementation of the ILM and mentoring for interns is unique and valuable. This is reflected in our decision to expand our own scheme to least 10 internships to create a pipeline of new talent translating into full-time employment within our team.”

One of the students to have received an offer of employment from DevOpsGuys following the completion of his degree in computer security at the University of South Wales is 22 year-old Mark Nash, who is originally from Reading.

Such is his belief in the strength of the tech sector in Wales and the job opportunities available, he has now bought a house in Cardiff with the intention of staying in the city beyond graduation.

He said: “The year in industry has really bolstered the theory I learned during my first two years at university and has given me plenty of opportunity to put it into practice. On top of this I’ve learned skills about the world of work that will give me an advantage over my peers.

“The tech sector in Wales is developing rapidly, creating some really exciting work opportunities, including the chance to work with some of the newest and most exciting software. Through working with DevOpsGuys and being part of the ESTnet I’ve had the opportunity to attend industry events to learn about developments in the sector and network with some of the key players that will hopefully benefit my career in the long-term.”

In addition to their individual placements, the students were provided with opportunities to gain wider industry insight working with some of the Wales’ largest technology companies. That included the chance to meet with some of the leading figures of the Airbus Group. While on a visit the company’s Newport base of operations, the students were challenged to sit a series of highly-technical assessments. Rising to the challenge, the students succeeded in achieving a perfect 100 per cent score.

Avril Lewis, managing director of the ESTnet, said: “We’re delighted with the success of the first year of the programme, it’s testament to the talent that is being nurtured here in Wales and also to our businesses who are prepared to invest time and money in developing their future workforce.

"A key focus for us was the employability skills as so often we see graduates who have the theoretical knowledge but are lacking when it comes to knowing how to behave and operate in the workplace. The percentage of students being offered employment opportunities after graduation is an added bonus to the programme and it demonstrates just how much potential the programme has for both candidates and employers.”