Developing a career in software engineering

This case study features Tomasz Grabowski, a software engineer from Soluis Group. Tomasz recently graduated with First Class Honours from our Software Development for Business Graduate Apprenticeship programme.

Soluis Group is a company that develops VR, AI, and web-based solutions using technologies such as C#, JavaScript, and TypeScript. They build digital platforms for the education and real-estate sectors, serving both domestic and international clients. In his current role, Tomasz is part of the PropTech platform team. He is responsible for the design, planning, and implementation of a Next.js-based frontend and a NestJS-driven backend, both deployed on Microsoft Azure Cloud.

Prior to starting his Graduate Apprenticeship, Tomasz built up a broad range of professional experience across technical, creative, and leadership roles. Alongside this, he gradually transitioned towards full-time software development, taking on freelance and contract work that allowed him to deepen his technical abilities and work with a variety of clients and industries. By the time he joined the Graduate Apprenticeship programme, Tomasz had established a solid foundation in practical software engineering and a good understanding of how technology supports business needs.

In the Q&A below, Tomasz shares some insight on how his Graduate Apprenticeship journey has impacted his career.

What was it about the Graduate Apprenticeship that appealed to you the most?

What appealed to me most about the Graduate Apprenticeship was the opportunity to combine formal education with real industry experience. The programme allowed me to continue developing my academic knowledge while immediately applying it in a professional environment, which helped accelerate both my learning and career progression. I also valued the structured pathway for gaining qualifications without stepping away from full-time work.

Did you ever consider a traditional degree?

Yes, I did consider a traditional degree as a potential alternative. It was essentially my plan B while applying for the Graduate Apprenticeship programme. I also had previous university experience abroad, which gave me a clear understanding of what traditional academic study involves. That experience helped me make a more informed decision and ultimately confirmed that the Graduate Apprenticeship route – combining work and study – was a better fit for my goals at this stage of my career.

During your degree, how did the Graduate Apprenticeship help you in your job (and your career)?

The Graduate Apprenticeship contributed significantly to my development both in my role and in my wider career. The academic learning provided a strong theoretical foundation that I could apply directly to real projects – for example, in software architecture, database design, and project planning – which helped me make more informed technical decisions and contribute more strategically to our platform. The course also inspired me to become more curious about emerging technologies. This curiosity led me to research and propose new solutions within the company, which were later adopted internally. Being able to bring fresh ideas and back them with knowledge strengthened my impact within the team.

Access to experienced academics and industry specialists gave me deeper technical insight and confidence. This helped me grow from being seen primarily as an apprentice to being recognised as a dependable, contributing member of the development team. It also shifted my own perspective – I gained a clearer sense of my own value, both as part of a collaborative team and as an individual developer capable of delivering end-to-end work.

Overall, the Graduate Apprenticeship accelerated my progression, expanded my skillset, and prepared me to take on more advanced responsibilities, including moving into new roles and contributing to more complex, innovative projects.

Since completing your Graduate Apprenticeship, how has your job role and/or career evolved?

Since completing my Graduate Apprenticeship, my role has evolved with a noticeable increase in autonomy, responsibility, and trust from the team. I am now given far more independent work, including owning features end-to-end and contributing to strategic decisions around architecture and technology choices. I’ve also been involved in more specialised work, such as R&D initiatives and exploring emerging technologies that can support the company’s long-term direction.

Looking back, how would you sum up your Graduate Apprenticeship experience?

Looking back, my Graduate Apprenticeship was a challenging but extremely rewarding experience. It pushed me to grow both technically and personally, helping me understand my strengths as well as the areas where I still needed to develop. Balancing work and study taught me resilience, a more pragmatic approach, and strong discipline, and ultimately gave me the confidence as a software developer.

Looking ahead, how do you think your Graduate Apprenticeship will impact your future career?

Looking forward, I think the biggest impact of my Graduate Apprenticeship is that it has effectively accelerated my career. Instead of finishing a degree and struggling to find an entry-level role with no real experience, I was able to build that experience while I studied. That helped me avoid the stage where many graduates can end up stuck waiting for the right opportunity to appear. It also gave me a much clearer understanding of what real software development work actually looks like – how teams operate, what responsibilities developers really have, and what skills matter day-to-day. That insight is something early graduates often don’t get until much later.

If someone was considering a Graduate Apprenticeship, what advice would you give them?

If someone was considering a Graduate Apprenticeship, I’d tell them it’s one of the fastest and most practical ways to start a career – especially in a field like software development. You get real experience from day one, which puts you in a much stronger position than completing a degree with no industry exposure.

I’d also say they should be ready for a bit of a challenge. Balancing work and study isn’t always easy, but the payoff is worth it. You learn how the industry actually works, what employers really expect, and how to adapt to real projects and deadlines – things you rarely get from a traditional degree alone.

Another piece of advice is to stay curious and keep exploring beyond what the programme or your job gives you. The IT world changes incredibly fast, and continuous learning is essential. Spend time figuring out which areas of technology you enjoy the most and dive deeper into them. Becoming genuinely skilled in something you’re passionate about gives you a huge advantage in the job market and makes your day-to-day work far more satisfying.

Also, keep track of your achievements and what you have been working on during the course and at work – nothing is too small. It will be very useful later on.

Overall, a Graduate Apprenticeship can give you a major head start – but your curiosity, focus, and willingness to learn will determine just how far it takes you.