Graduate Apprentice Angus revolutionises software builds for global investment bank
An innovative approach from switched-on software development apprentice Angus Henderson had a global impact for his employer after it was adopted company-wide.
Within just four months of starting his Graduate Apprenticeship at investment bank JPMorganChase, Angus developed a tool which enables teams to cut their software build times by up to 90%.
His ingenious solution was immediately adopted by over 900 projects across the US based firm and had been used on over 1.7million builds within weeks.
It allows new software solutions to be released in a fraction of the time it previously took, translating into more than a year of build time savings, and significantly reduces the amount of computing resources needed to power the build too.
Angus, 21, explained: “I was looking at how long it takes to get a piece of software into production and how long it takes to identify that something is broken. I wanted to speed up the process without compromising on the controls that are in place.
“Basically, the more you can shorten the feedback loop, the more you can stay focused on a single thread of work, which speeds up build times, gives you a faster, more efficient developer experience and saves on infrastructure costs too.
“I felt that this tool could have a wider application and spoke to other teams and we were able to scale it and roll it out across the firm.”
Angus was invited to present his solution to a global senior audience at the bank’s engineering conference in Hyderabad, India, addressing a crowd of 400 people.
For his dissertation, Angus worked closely with the Operations lead to design and develop a new software service and user interface that transformed how the bank identified problem trades before they impacted clients.
Angus, of Glasgow, explained: “A Graduate Apprenticeship gives you the opportunity to put your technical knowledge into action and make a real difference.
“You can take ownership of a problem and work with people in the business to solve that. Seeing the impact of it at the end of it is really rewarding.”
The former Stirling High School pupil was inspired to apply for a Graduate Apprenticeship in IT: Software Development at the University of Strathclyde because it combined theoretical learning with hands-on, real-world experience.
As an active ambassador he now visits schools to promote STEM learning and apprenticeships, as well as teaching other colleagues at work and collaborating with senior engineers outside his direct team.
Graduate Apprenticeships are a way to get qualified up to Master’s degree level while in paid employment.
Angus said: “Doing the Graduate Apprenticeship has definitely boosted my confidence and improved my communication skills. Now I can walk into a room of executives, explain a problem and how I think we should solve it, which feels great.
“Not having student debt because I chose to take an apprenticeship is amazing, and I have been able to save as well.”
Designed by education and employers, Graduate Apprenticeships are working for Scotland by supporting key sectors that need highly skilled workforces.
JPMorganChase Vice President UK Apprenticeships Lead Lynne Lockier said: “Angus is definitely one of our future leaders.
“He is a really creative thinker and problem solver and is all about getting things done in the most efficient way possible.”
She added: “Apprentices work on real life problems; they bring the passion and innovation that drives change and add real financial benefits to the business.”
University of Strathclyde Program Director (IT Software Development) James Nightingale said: “Angus is 100% dependable, through his Graduate Apprenticeship he has developed a clear grasp of what should be done in the real world, is a natural leader and has a very professional approach.”
Angus’ achievements have led to him being a finalist in the Graduate Apprentice of the Year category at the Scottish Apprenticeship Awards in association with SP Energy Networks.
The awards take place on 26 February as the launch event for Scottish Apprenticeship Week (2 to 6 March). Find out more about the award finalists and the event by visiting apprenticeships.scot/awards.