Luke is a Technical Support Manager based in our Manchester hub. He joined DWP Digital through an apprenticeship as he wanted to kickstart his professional career in IT.
From curiosity to career
I have always had a passion for IT; however, it was not my strongest area. I decided to build my knowledge, and I knew a government apprenticeship would be reliable and trustworthy. Completing the apprenticeship was a rewarding experience and I genuinely enjoyed it. I’ve since developed strong IT skills like building a computer.
My role involves working on different virtual channels to support operational colleagues with IT issues. I may work on voice, dealing with incoming calls in the morning and then incidents that have been reported in the afternoon. When I’m not handling virtual channels, I support with walk-ins or sourcing rotations of stock between appointments at the Tech Bar. Recently, I’ve had more appointments to roll out new MacBooks to our new engineering colleagues. This involved ensuring all devices were rebuilt with the correct software and applications, ready to be collected.
My team also travel around the city and across the country. I have recently been to Derry in Northern Ireland working on a project to roll out Cloud First as well as Scotland, Gosport and the south coast. The jobs can range from deploying 100 laptops in a day to changing docks and fixing devices across multiple days. I really enjoy gaining an insight into how different areas of the organisation operate and I’ve had the pleasure of meeting some truly wonderful colleagues I might not have interacted with otherwise.
The expectation is knowing where to look
The biggest challenge we face is the number and diverse range of applications we use in DWP. Some applications are highly specialised and used in one specific role, while others are named using acronyms. The expectation to understand and address issues across this range of applications from operational colleagues can be demanding. However, our team are great in finding information, guidance and sharing best practices with each other.
The great thing is that the expectation is not on knowing everything but rather knowing where to look. The ability to rapidly search, be sharp minded and prompt in your response in a fast-paced scenario, is a quality I have been able to refine. This skill is especially valuable in providing support to our operational colleagues at a pace and you’ll be surprised at how quickly your research abilities will accelerate with practice.
In some IT organisations you are also expected to resolve issues in the moment. DWP have a more positive outlook, we aim to serve everyone which could mean progressing the issue into an incident. As we have the largest growing IT team in the UK, it means someone has always got your back and we work flexibly and collaboratively with different teams on busier days.
Surrounded by a community of support
At DWP Digital you are encouraged and surrounded by a community of support. Central hubs are set up to foster collaboration with colleagues from different teams. I often sit alongside senior leaders, while it initially felt daunting, it has been a fantastic opportunity for networking and gaining invaluable knowledge. I’ve also benefited from training sessions on excel and scripting delivered by the Network Team. Our community of support extends to our relationships with external suppliers and providers who have offered further opportunities including training and attending meetings that have contributed to my development.
There is a real culture of support and development here which I love. If there’s room for you to grow, they don’t dismiss you, they invest in you to reach your potential and to do well.