One of the UK’s fastest growing and largest independent software testing companies, Edge Testing Solutions, part of Eurofins Digital Testing, is continuing to build its Manchester-based team – with the appointment of former IT teacher, Steve Walsh, as its first graduate apprentice.
As Test Consultant, Manchester-born Steve’s new role provides him with the opportunity to put IT theory into practice. Where once he provided his students with the knowledge and skills to create their software and solutions, Steve went back to ‘school’ with Edge Testing’s Academy – a two year learning program that combines an intensive six-week boot camp blending classroom-based software testing training with practical experience.
Steve explains why Edge Testing appealed to him: “Software testing is an interesting field, where every day is different. I liked the thorough training provision, alongside the opportunity to work for some interesting clients.
“It’s fun being on the opposite side of the classroom and the Academy tutors are all experts in their fields providing a high level and calibre of tuition during the course. I used to do sudoku puzzles and I have strong attention to detail, so I’m a real geek when it comes to knowing how apps and tech work. That’s very useful in this new career of mine.”
Steve is now one of Edge Testing’s team of over 260 people UK-wide, and works with experienced testers, career changers, and newly qualified graduates in the North West office. The company offers a number of innovative services for clients seeking testing providers, with the Digital Test Lab, which provides a low cost, on demand testing service supplied within the UK and the Academy as a Service, which enables clients to develop their own ‘super-charged’ testing resources without the burden of recruitment.
Edge Academy is a popular entrance to a career in testing, as each graduate is paid throughout the training and has a job at the end of the two years. While some trainee testers have IT degrees, others have a passion for IT-related subjects or are interested in gaming and software applications. Steve did not have any specific software testing experience or qualifications, but he had previously worked as an IT teacher, so his knowledge level was right for this career change.
Steve has no plans to retire any time soon and concluded: “Testing is not a physically demanding job, so I can stay in this role for the foreseeable future and not have to think about retirement. I would like to become a Test Automation Engineer. The thought of using software to test software is fascinating and, in test automation, you’re learning all the time, it’s just like solving a puzzle. It’s a very engaging field that is both challenging and creative, so it’s not going to be boring – ever.”
