Makers Apprentice Awards Spotlight: Usna Hakimi, a DevOps graduate at SITA

Usna Hakimi completed the BCS Level 4 DevOps apprenticeship with Makers and SITA in 2023. During the pandemic, she decided to leave her job as a Museum Assistant and get into the tech industry.

Why did you decide to apply for the apprenticeship?

The apprenticeship was the perfect next step for me at the time as I was looking for something where I could build on my skills through learning and getting real-life experience. I did not know what to expect at the beginning, but I knew that it would help me to have a stronger foundation and more confidence in myself as an engineer.

“For the first time in my life, I look forward to my future and what it will bring.”

What was a highlight of your apprenticeship?

One highlight was doing the project and using pretty much everything I had learnt up until then. It was challenging but it made me realise how much I knew, and I was very proud of it all by the end.

How did your apprenticeship set you up for a successful tech career?

The apprenticeship helped me to get better technically and get hands-on experience and solve real-life problems which I know will always help me. An important area I was able to improve significantly were my soft skills such as communicating more effectively, being able to problem solve better, and be more confident in my skills and ideas as an engineer. Out of all of that, having more confidence in my abilities will be very crucial and helpful for my career and my future.

Has anything surprised you about entering the tech industry?

The main thing is the fact that there is a way for people like me who don’t have a degree or a background in tech to enter it. Also, that I’m not the only one doing this and the support given and available is great.

Do you think events like Makers Apprenticeship Awards are important?

Yes, it is important because I believe people should be celebrated for their efforts and achievements. It helps to put into perspective how far people have come in their journeys and to see that there is a whole community full of people who are on similar journeys. Also, it is important to recognise Makers and the companies who work with them to support apprentices like me.

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