A young man and woman standing outside a set of brown buildings holding a laptop and a sign with Liberty IT on it.
Ronan Lavery, associate talent acquisition specialist and Gina Lonergan, apprentice software engineer at Liberty IT. Image: William Cherry/ Press Eye

Liberty IT is recruiting apprentice software engineers

30 Jan 2023

Every apprentice at Liberty IT will be assigned a buddy within the company to provide guidance and advice as they learn and hone new skills.

Liberty IT, the tech branch of Liberty Mutual Insurance, has said it is planning to take on 10 apprentice software engineers as part of its TechStart programme.

Applicants have until 7 March to get their applications in for the positions which are due to begin in September.

The apprentice roles are open to people who enjoy tech and have a proven ability when it comes to writing code. Liberty IT will issue a coding challenge to applicants following the closing date for applications.

Successful applicants will receive offers by 27 March. Once working at Liberty IT they will be assigned a buddy at the company to help them.

Apprentices will have the opportunity to work alongside Liberty IT’s experienced software engineers. They will also complete academic studies at Ulster University as part of the TechStart programme. In order to be eligible for the apprenticeship, applicants must also meet the criteria for the BSc (Hons) in Computing Systems at Ulster University.

“Our TechStart programme is a great way to kickstart a career in tech and have the support of some of the best talent in the industry through defined learning and development programmes while completing education at Ulster University,” said Stephen Killilea Hannon, talent acquisition manager at Liberty IT.

“As a company, we are invested in the future of our apprentices, many of whom go on to enjoy long-term employment at Liberty IT and avail of the clear career progression opportunities available.”

Michael Anderson, principal software engineer at Liberty IT, recalled joining the company in 2015 as an apprentice. “The programme gave me the opportunity to get started in a career that I really wanted to do having gone down a path in education that I unfortunately discovered didn’t interest me,” he said.

“Eight years on I can confidently say that Liberty IT gave me every opportunity to learn and succeed, despite coming in with no formal training in the field. In this time, I have progressed from the role of assistant systems administrator to a principal software engineer which clearly demonstrates how the company empowers its apprentices to grow and succeed.”

Anderson said he would “strongly encourage” anyone considering applying for the TechStart programme to “go for it – I haven’t regretted my decision for a second.”

More information and application details can be found on Liberty IT’s website.

10 things you need to know direct to your inbox every weekday. Sign up for the Daily Brief, Silicon Republic’s digest of essential sci-tech news.

Blathnaid O’Dea
By Blathnaid O’Dea

Blathnaid O’Dea joined Silicon Republic in 2021 as Careers reporter, coming from a background in the Humanities. She likes people, pranking, pictures of puffins – and apparently alliteration.

Loading now, one moment please! Loading