“The Makers Bootcamp gets individuals up to speed technically. Being able to see them come to Google and have a really big impact — learn, develop and grow is definitely the best part.”
Makers have been delivering software apprenticeships with Google since 2020. To celebrate this year’s Makers Apprenticeship Awards, we spoke to James Jeffries, who is at the forefront of Google’s apprenticeships. Starting as a volunteer and now leading Google’s UK apprenticeship programme, James discusses his experience with the apprentices and Makers.
Our last cohort had 51 apprentices in total. It’s been great to have seen what apprenticeships were like at the beginning and see how they’ve developed. The success stories we’ve seen of individuals either securing roles at Google after their apprenticeship or going on to forge their careers at other organisations have been great to see.
I love it. From a career changer perspective, I find it inspiring that an individual is on a different pathway and decided to ultimately hit pause, retrain and learn something new, and the Makers Bootcamp helps them on that journey. Then the other side is when you meet an 18-year-old who’s just left school. They don’t want to go to university, so they look at different pathways to the career they want.
I always enjoy the conversations I get to have with the apprentices that aren’t about their day-to-day work and what they’re doing, but more about where they’re trying to go or what they’re learning.
Seeing someone’s confidence grow. Seeing someone’s communication skills improve. I always feel confident that the technical side of things will be covered both by Makers and by our onboarding. You’ll see growth in their technical capabilities over time but, on the non-technical side certainly, from my perspective, you see the biggest change from the beginning to where the individuals end up.
I do think they are important, as recognition is important. We focus a lot internally on recognition through a bonus scheme. The main driver behind it is that you’re able to thank someone when they’ve done something amazing. It can have a big impact on apprentices, where there might be imposter syndrome.
Externally can have an even greater impact and an even bigger statement of recognition outside the Google bubble. With the event itself, individuals are recognised amongst other apprentices from other organisations. It’s another layer and another reminder to them that they deserve to be where they are. They’re having a significant impact.
The Makers team is dedicated to transforming lives by building inclusive pathways into tech careers. With a mission to align their success with their students' success, Makers challenges traditional education models by integrating training with employment support, helping aspiring developers find roles where they can thrive.