{"id":59090,"date":"2026-04-01T13:07:35","date_gmt":"2026-04-01T13:07:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/careers.creditsafe.com\/gb\/?p=59090"},"modified":"2026-04-13T10:36:52","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T10:36:52","slug":"degree-apprenticeships-at-creditsafe-siobhan-and-kellys-stories","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/careers.creditsafe.com\/gb\/blog\/degree-apprenticeships-at-creditsafe-siobhan-and-kellys-stories\/","title":{"rendered":"Degree Apprenticeships at Creditsafe: Siobhan and Kelly’s Stories"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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One of the best parts of degree apprenticeships is the chance to learn while you earn: it strengthens your skills, career, and\u00a0your company too.<\/span><\/p>

We\u2019re really proud to congratulate Kelly Mason and Siobhan Stephens, who have recently completed their degree apprenticeships with us.\u00a0They\u2019ve\u00a0taken the time\u00a0to tell us about what the experience was like, how this combination of learning and working\u00a0works together, and their advice for others considering\u00a0the same path.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

\"\ud83c\udf93\" What is a Degree Apprenticeship? <\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>

At its heart, a degree apprenticeship combines work with university studies. Students on a\u00a0degree\u00a0apprenticeship\u00a0can have\u00a0much of the usual university\u00a0experience: attending lectures and seminars, labs,\u00a0reading,\u00a0and\u00a0maybe the\u00a0occasional night out!\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Uniquely, a\u00a0degree\u00a0apprenticeship\u00a0allows students\u00a0to draw on what\u00a0they\u2019ve\u00a0learnt at work to complete\u00a0assignments, allowing students to\u00a0showcase\u00a0how\u00a0they\u2019ve\u00a0put the course into practice,\u00a0and draw on the practice for their understanding.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

One\u00a0key\u00a0challenge\u00a0degree apprentices face,\u00a0is the tricky\u00a0need\u00a0to juggle\u00a0your paid work with your course work, something Siobhan and Kelly both navigated with\u00a0success, even though it did feel difficult at times!\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Below, Kelly and Siobhan share how this combination of work and learning complemented each other, and what they got from this rewarding experience.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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\"\u2747\ufe0f\"\u00a0Kelly\u2019s Story<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>

Kelly Mason\u2019s journey through her\u00a0degree\u00a0apprenticeship is\u00a0one\u00a0made of\u00a0curiosity,\u00a0determination, and a genuine love for hands\u2011on learning. As someone\u00a0who\u2019s\u00a0always\u00a0been\u00a0\u201cmore of a practical, hands\u2011on person rather than an academic learner,\u201d she found that the applied nature of a degree apprenticeship suited her,\u00a0hand-in-glove!\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Kelly\u2019s career path has been shaped by over 20 years in the financial services and data sector, where she found a growing fascination with data. She first\u00a0encountered\u00a0this world in 2010, when she joined\u00a0Creditsafe. \u201cMy role involved working with data and reporting, and that\u2019s when I began to\u00a0realise\u00a0how much I enjoyed\u00a0analysing\u00a0and automating processes\u201d.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Her apprenticeship allowed her to build on that foundation with real\u2011world projects that deepened her technical confidence. Completing her Level 4 in Data Analytics with ALS Training gave her the momentum to\u00a0continue on\u00a0to Cardiff Met, where the flexibility of part\u2011time study enabled her to balance work, life, and learning\u00a0sustainably.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Kelly celebrated her graduation day with her family, which coincided with her mother's 60th birthday!<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Kelly\u2019s not shy about the challenges\u00a0that come with balancing life,\u00a0work\u00a0and studies: \u201c<\/span>I completed my studies in my own time alongside a full-time role and the responsibilities of being a single mother. It required dedication and\u00a0resilience, and\u00a0made the achievement\u00a0all the more\u00a0rewarding.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

While these challenges were there, that\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0stop\u00a0Kelly\u00a0from progressing\u00a0into a data engineer role\u00a0at\u00a0Creditsafe\u00a0Group,\u00a0another step that\u00a0shows\u00a0the value of developing professionally while contributing directly to the business.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

As for how the course and work complemented each other, Kelly was able to deepen her understanding: \u201c<\/span>The course helped me immerse myself in a new layer of technology. While I had some exposure to it through work, studying it in more depth gave me a clearer understanding and allowed me to engage more confidently and meaningfully in workplace discussions.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

As for the most rewarding part\u00a0of it all? \u201c<\/span>What I most enjoyed about the degree apprenticeship was being able to turn my practical, hands-on experience into a\u00a0recognised\u00a0qualification, giving formal structure and credibility to the skills I had developed through work.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Kelly\u2019s graduation was a special moment for her, she\u00a0reflects:\u00a0\u201c<\/span>I could hardly believe that everything I had worked so hard for had finally come to fruition, I graduated on my mums 60th Birthday so she had\u00a0a great day\u00a0out.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Her message to others considering a similar path is simple and empowering: \u201cDon\u2019t doubt yourself \u2013 you can do it.\u201d<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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\"\u2747\ufe0f\" Siobhan\u2019s Story<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>

For Siobhan Stephens, a\u00a0degree\u00a0apprenticeship was just the right route\u00a0for her. She first came across the\u00a0programme\u00a0while in college, weighing up her options for full\u2011time Software Engineering degrees. \u201cIt was quite late in the\u00a0year\u00a0and I\u2019d already had unconditional offers from other unis,\u201d she explains, \u201cbut as soon as I\u2019d heard about the degree\u00a0apprenticeship\u00a0I had my heart set on it.\u201d With it being the first scheme of its kind in Wales, the idea of combining study with real work experience\u00a0stood out.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Siobhan knew she wanted to start working\u00a0as soon as possible but\u00a0also\u00a0recognised\u00a0how important a degree would be for her future. This way\u00a0offered the perfect balance: \u201cThe opportunity to work and study part time (and have the degree funded by the Welsh government) was perfect.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Unlike many in her\u00a0degree\u00a0cohort,\u00a0most of whom were upskilling from existing roles,\u00a0Siobhan joined directly from A\u2011levels. That meant securing a job was a condition of joining the scheme, something she tackled with\u00a0a good deal of\u00a0confidence.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Siobhan went straight from her A-level studies to a degree apprenticeship, achieving a 1st class in Software Development.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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She laughed as she recalled turning up to an employer marketing event for the digital degree apprenticeship\u00a0scheme, CV in hand. She remembers\u00a0\u201cI\u00a0<\/span>stood up and\u00a0basically asked\u00a0everyone in the room for a job!\u00a0Luckily\u00a0it worked in my\u00a0favour\u00a0as I got a job\u00a0then and there\u00a0for my *bravery*, as a junior software developer with\u00a0Mobilise\u00a0Cloud in Swansea.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Siobhan later moved\u00a0on\u00a0to\u00a0Creditsafe\u00a0in 2021, where both the university and the company \u201cwere extremely accommodating\u201d of her studies. Alongside her coursework and job, she also became an ambassador for the\u00a0programme, also\u00a0something she genuinely loved. \u201cI do believe in it wholeheartedly and wanted to share my experience with other employers and college students. I even met the education minister and was on ITV news!\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Balancing work and\u00a0study\u00a0wasn\u2019t\u00a0always easy. \u201cI won\u2019t sugar coat it,\u201d she says. \u201cDoing a degree is a significant amount of work and requires quite a bit of time outside of the study day once a week.\u201d But the overlap between her job and her learning made a real difference. Applying skills in context helped assignments feel more\u00a0accessible and\u00a0meaningful: \u201cIt added a level of context that so many students would otherwise miss out on.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

The apprenticeship opened the door to steady progression at\u00a0Creditsafe\u00a0too!\u00a0Over the course of her studies, she moved from\u00a0Junior\u00a0to Mid\u00a0developer, and eventually even stepped into a Team Lead role. She also graduated with a\u00a0First Class Honours\u00a0degree,\u00a0a\u00a0moment she\u00a0remembers with pride. \u201cKnowing all the hard work was worth it and no one can take it away!\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

For Siobhan, the journey has been challenging, rewarding, and full of growth.\u00a0She\u2019s\u00a0quick to acknowledge the support around her: \u201cThe understanding of my colleagues and HR at\u00a0Creditsafe\u00a0have allowed me to do this and I am very grateful for that.\u201d<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

\"\u2764\ufe0f\" A Big Well Done!<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>

It\u2019s\u00a0a big achievement to balance life with work and study, but Kelly and Siobhan did!\u00a0They both had outstanding results and enjoyed the experience of taking on\u00a0the\u00a0challenge.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

For\u00a0Creditsafe,\u00a0degree apprenticeships allow\u00a0our\u00a0people\u00a0to accelerate their learning, enrich their work, and get the chance to gain a meaningful qualification.\u00a0For our people, they get to learn, grow, develop soft and technical skills, all within a flexible framework where learning and earning go together and\u00a0supports\u00a0their current and future needs.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Once more, a huge well done to both. If\u00a0you\u2019re\u00a0considering doing a degree apprenticeship, here are some links to some handy resources:\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>