IT and business consulting services company CGI is a strong supporter of growing the Scottish digital economy by investing in a skilled workforce.
A key part of CGI’s commitment to communities is its Graduate Programme, which it launched in 2018. CGI currently has 47 graduates across Scotland in the programme. In the five years it has been running, CGI has hired 58 new members from the programme – a significant boost to the young digital workforce in Scotland.
The intensive development programme offers new university graduates the opportunity to build a career path within a leading global organisation like CGI and become the next generation of coders, cyber security experts, project managers and systems engineers.
Here are three graduates who have enrolled in the Graduate Programme with CGI, and who have been instrumental in developing projects with CGI’s Student Kickstart Initiative (SKI), a nine-month part of the programme where they work in teams on outcome-based projects.
Scott Mora, 29, from East Kilbride
“I worked at Sainsbury’s while studying for my degree, but I wasn’t really enjoying my course, so I stopped and for two years I qualified as a baker with the supermarket. But I still had a desire to study, and realised the career options a STEM degree would bring.
“So, I studied computer science, beginning with an HND at Glasgow Clyde Cardonald College, then a degree at University of Strathclyde where I graduated.
“The big difference from the first time I went to university was that I was that bit older, I enjoyed the subject that bit more and my head was screwed on in terms of where I could go with it. So, it was a far more enjoyable experience.
“Initially, I wanted to continue into post-graduate study, but because of the pandemic, I didn’t want to be in a room studying on my own. So I started looking for jobs and read about CGI on various recruitment sites.
“I was attracted to the Graduate Programme. I like both the structure of the work with CGI and the flexibility that also brings – you have time to do various things and explore specialist interests.
“It’s not just about people with computer science degrees, those who have studied business, data analytics, physics, chemistry, the skills learned can be applied.”
Taaha Dar, 24, from Glasgow
“I attended Bellahouston Academy before going on to University of Strathclyde where I achieved a BA Honours in Management and HR in 2021.
“I began working life in an Enterprise Centre for a utility company, but I soon realised that I would prefer working in STEM. STEM is a career that’s good for everyone. Whether you are studying humanities, or science, you can move on to a STEM career.
“So I joined CGI as a project manager. I have a mentor and a ‘buddy’ who is someone with a lot of experience in the industry and who has been very good in helping me learn the processes in the tech sector – something I had not encountered before.
“I’ve now been there almost a year, but the great thing about CGI and the Graduate Programme is there is a career path. For me, I am hoping to begin on that path by getting promoted once the programme is complete, and I would ideally like to get to director level by the end of the decade.”
Lachlan Mackay, 23, from Glasgow
“As a boy I loved all things to do with computers and wanted to make them do more. It just fascinated me and that’s where my real love of computer science began. A teacher spotted my interest in computing. She took me along to STEM open days which opened the door to the idea of me pursuing a career in computing science.
“I also really enjoyed rugby, played for Stirling County and also represented Scotland as a schoolboy. However, injury meant I had to take a break from his playing career.
“So I went to study Software Engineering at Heriot-Watt University, where I picked security as a focus area. After graduating, I joined CGI as a consultant and am now in the Graduate Training Programme.
“I have a total of four placements where I will be moving to different areas within security and computing science every six months. I hope I can go on to become a director. But the most important thing is I continue to challenge myself and learn more skills.”
