How To Restart Your Tech Career Using Apprenticeships | Workplus Ep.13

Workplus | Real People, Meaningful Careers

In this episode of Workplus, Richard Kirk speaks with Esther, a software engineering manager whose journey from Nigeria to Northern Ireland tells a story of grit, growth, and guidance. From working in customer service to leading engineering teams, Esther shares how an access course changed her path, why mentoring matters, and how apprenticeships are transforming opportunities in tech. Whether you're a parent, teacher, or someone rethinking your own career, Esther's story is full of insight and inspiration.

Key Takeaways
• Starting over in a new country builds resilience and confidence
• Customer service roles can be a powerful training ground for soft skills
• Access courses open the door to higher education for non-traditional students
• Software engineering is as much about teamwork as technical skills
• Apprenticeships offer practical, supported entry into tech careers
• Being results-driven helps sustain motivation through challenges
• Passion and purpose go hand in hand in tech careers
• Leadership requires listening, patience, and clarity
• Mentoring is essential for apprentice success
• Companies benefit from keeping both graduate and apprenticeship pathways open

Best Moments
00:00:03. “Apprenticeship is a good way to give young people the opportunity to learn on the job as well as study.”
00:01:32. “I moved to Northern Ireland because I got married, and my husband worked here.”
00:02:15. “The first job I had was as a census collector... it helped me get comfortable with people.”
00:03:45. “I once had more... because that wasn’t what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.”
00:06:12. “It would be great... to have many women and girls going into so-called men-dominated jobs or degrees.”
00:08:04. “I just love the idea of sitting down and writing code and seeing it do something.”
00:10:21. “Even after today, whenever I see that feature... I say to myself, yes, this is my idea.”
00:12:40. “Having a happy team means you’re going to get work done.”
00:15:30. “Software engineering is not just about you sitting there on your laptop every single day.”
00:32:40. “It’s all about the positive aspects you get out of it in the end. It outweighs whatever negatives there are.”

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