BELFAST tech firm TotalMobile has taken on its latest recruit in the second year of its No Fees Degree scheme.
The initiative employs trainee software developers while they complete a part-time degree, in a package worth up to £100,000 over five years.
Chris Gormley from Belfast will take up a position at the Pilot Point-based company as a software developer intern this month at the same time as he starts studying for a part-time BSc Hons in Computing Systems at Ulster University.
TotalMobile will pay for his course fees, exams and study materials, in addition to paying him a competitive salary which will increase each year of his degree, as well as guaranteed employment on graduation.
By the end of the degree, participants in the scheme will reach the market-rate salary for a graduate as well as having the advantage of workplace knowledge and experience built up during their studies.
Chris, who has just completed a foundation degree in software engineering at Belfast Metropolitan College, said: “This is a natural progression onto the degree without the stress of having to pay for fees. With student debt at an all-time high, an offer like this from TotalMobile really is like a golden ticket into my chosen career.
“It’s great to be working with a cutting-edge tech company which provides innovative software solutions to revolutionise the way frontline healthcare staff work and I’m certainly the envy of my fellow students.”
Olga Pollock, Human Resources manager at TotalMobile, said: “We’re always looking for fresh new talent to join our team and as a successful local software company we are keen to do what we can to fill the IT skills gap that exists in Northern Ireland.
“Having enough people with excellent IT and software development skills will be crucial in ensuring that Northern Ireland stays competitive on the global stage in the coming decades. “We have worked with Belfast Met and Ulster University on the No Fees Degree scheme and believe it is a great partnership between the IT industry and academic institutions.”