FAQs
The Application
No, you do not need to have had any formal education or work experience in technology. We actively encourage people from all backgrounds to apply to our Academy.
Our training is designed to upskill those without any previous experience in technology, however, it is highly recommended that you have done some self-study in your chosen pathway and its associated programming languages.
If you are applying for software engineering, you do need to have a basic understanding of one or more programming languages.
No, a degree is not a requirement when applying to the Digital Futures Academy.
At Digital Futures, we assess for potential.
Once you have submitted your application, you will be invited to our bespoke online learning platform, Skills, where you can complete our assessment. Our online assessment is in three parts, all of which look for your unique traits, strengths, cognitive capability, and aptitude for your chosen pathway through a series of written, mathematical, and coding challenges. If you have never done any coding before, we provide learning resources which will help you complete the coding challenge.
If you are successful, you will be invited for a screening interview with a member of our team before being invited for a final interview with one of our instructors.
No, the interview is conducted remotely using Microsoft Teams.
The Finances
No, we are proud of the fact that our engineers do not pay for any training, professional certifications, or further learning as part of our commitment to creating equal opportunities in technology.
We make a significant investment in you, and every one of our engineers, so we expect you to finish your training and stay with Digital Futures during your 2-year placement with our clients.
No, but you will be receiving world-class, industry-oriented training completely free of charge, which will set you up for your successful career.
Once you become a permanent employee of Digital Futures your starting salary will be £27,500 per annum. Subject to your performance, your salary will increase to £32,000 per annum in Year 2 and to £35,000 per annum in Year 3.
The Terms & Conditions
Unfortunately, not. We require that you have the right-to-work-in-the-UK status, and you are able to evidence it as part of your onboarding into our Academy. We are also unable to accept applications from people who are still in the process of applying for a visa and we are unable to sponsor Tier 2 visas.
No, unfortunately not. In accordance with Home Office guidance, if your application is successful you will be required to evidence your right to work in the UK via one of the following documents: UK Passport, EU Settlement Scheme or Indefinite leave to remain. We are unfortunately unable to offer roles to applicants with the Graduate Visa, Student Visa (Tier 4) or Skilled Worker Visa (Tier 2). Therefore, you must be able to demonstrate your right to work in the UK without the need for Digital Futures sponsorship.
We understand that sometimes big decisions are hard to make, which is why we give you 10 working days from the start of the training to notify us of your intent to leave the programme. Following this, you might be required to pay an exit fee equivalent to the cost of training for the 12 weeks. The requirement to pay back fees only applies to the training contract and is not part of your employment contract.
We are really proud to have an ethical retention policy and therefore you will not be subject to an exit fee should you choose to leave once you are working full time for Digital Futures on your placement. You will be on a six-month notice period, as per the expectations of our clients.
Once you become an employee of Digital Futures you will be entitled to the following benefits:
- Statutory pension contributions
- 28 days annual leave, including bank holidays
- Specsavers VDU eye test voucher
- Discounted shopping cards, vouchers & e-vouchers
- Percentage discounts & savings on brands online & in store
- Cashback – get paid to shop online at your favourite brands
- Concierge service – travel & tickets
- Doctorline – GP access & prescription service
- Employee Assistance Programme – legal advice & counselling service
The Training
Digital Futures is a technology services and training company. We train all our engineers in technical disciplines and those who graduate from our Academy and start placements with our clients become employees of Digital Futures. All of our training is delivered by industry accredited trainers, and you will receive the relevant professional accreditations aligned to each pathway.
There will be no requirement for you to complete any pre-work ahead of the Academy, but you will be provided with resources which we would strongly encourage you to use to help prepare for the Academy.
You should think of attending our Academy as a full-time job. Training runs for a minimum of 12 weeks and is delivered during normal business hours (9am-5pm).
Our training is delivered remotely via Zoom, but all teaching is done live with your instructors and fellow cohort members. There will be one day during the Academy where you will be invited alongside your cohort to join us at the IBM Office in London for a field trip. If you live outside of Greater London, your travel expenses will be covered by Digital Futures for this event.
There may be other occasions where you are asked to come into our London offices, in which case we will cover your travel expenses if you live outside of Greater London.
No, we don’t recommend it. Due to the intensity of the training and the time commitment, you will be short of spare time to allocate to another course.
Anyone who is accepted into our Academy is expected to have their own laptop. In some instances, we will provide a laptop to those with extenuating circumstances.
We have had a large number of engineers graduate from our Academy on all pathways with little or no coding experience. The content is difficult, and you will need to work hard to build the knowledge quickly, but it is possible to start with zero experience and successfully graduate. A basic understanding of one or more programming languages is required for the software engineering programme. An understanding of the basics of Python is required for the data engineering programme.
No, this is not possible due to the structure of our immersive training programmes. We will make exceptions on a case-by-case basis for religious holidays and family emergencies.
There are three steps you must complete to graduate.
- You must demonstrate your technical proficiency by successfully passing the relevant certification
- You must complete all challenges and projects during training, to the satisfaction of your instructor
- You must also demonstrate your professional development by successfully completing a competency interview with your engagement manager
At the end of your training period, you will work towards your graduation. To become eligible for a placement, you must have graduated from the Digital Futures Academy. This can take up to four weeks, though this is dependent on how quickly you successfully complete the graduation criteria. Once you have graduated from the Academy, we will work together with you to secure your client placement.
The Placement
No, a placement is not guaranteed. To become eligible for a placement, you must firstly complete all graduation criteria. We will then work with you to secure a placement, the timing of which is dependent on the demand from our clients. There may be instances when the timing of client demand and the graduation cycle from our Academy are not perfectly aligned. If there is a delay, you will continue to be supported to further your learning and development in readiness for a placement and you may be assigned to internal projects.
No, it can take a number of weeks after you complete your training. Once you have graduated, you will enter the six-week transition to employment period. During this time, you will be interviewed by your client organisation in order to secure your placement. Once your placement has been secured, you will be offered an employment contract with Digital Futures and start your placement with one of our clients.
If we have not secured a placement for you within the six-week transition to employment period, you are free to seek employment outside of Digital Futures.
Our clients are some of the most innovative companies in the consulting, financial services, media and telecoms, public services, and retail industries. All of our clients are selected on the basis of their alignment with Digital Futures culture and values.
Placements will be located in London, Leeds, Stevenage, Bristol and Edinburgh. You must be able to commute or relocate to one of these locations for your placement.
We will always aim to match your skills and capabilities to the appropriate organisation, and we take into consideration your long-term career aspirations as well as location and industry preferences.
Some of our engineers have already been fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to travel within the UK whilst on their placement. Should you need to travel as part of your work, your expenses will be covered by Digital Futures.
Throughout your placement, you will have direct access to an engagement manager who will oversee your development and provide continuous technical and pastoral support. You will also have access to the whole Digital Futures team, all of whom have an open-door policy and you will also be invited to take part in our company-wide CSR and social events.
As you come towards the end of your initial placement, your engagement manager will walk you through the various options available to you. You may have the opportunity to extend your placement, or you can seek a rotation to a new organisation as a Digital Futures engineer with two years’ worth of experience. You may have the opportunity to join the organisation of your original placement on a permanent basis, though this is not guaranteed. Finally, you can choose to end your employment with us.
There are three possibilities when you come to the end of your placement. You may have the opportunity to permanently join the organisation at which you have been placed, you can also seek a rotation to a new company as a more experienced Digital Futures engineer or finally, you can choose to end your employment with us.