Blog

Work experience student, Oakley, shares his experience of work experience at Fivium.

​Fivium is once again proud to support International Women's Day 2024 under the theme of #InspireInclusion and we’re pleased to announce some new initiatives aimed at empowering and inspring women in the tech industry and beyond.

2023 has been another year of accolades, exciting initiatives and growth for Fivium. In this blog, we delve into Fivium's notable achievements throughout the year.

As part of our Mental Health Month, we delve into the topic of men's mental health and wellbeing. We spoke to four colleagues to understand what mental health and wellbeing mean to them personally. From prioritising exercise and self-care practices to breaking down the stigma around mental health, Chris, Nils, Julian, and Rob share their experiences and insights on maintaining a healthy body and mind.

​As eager students arriving from the Universities of Bath and Kent, the transition into our young careers felt like a significant step. Fivium, however, made this transition seamless. Several months before our official start date, we had the opportunity to meet fellow placement students and mentors in the office. A few games of Codenames and indulging in an array of sweet treats helped us to break the ice and get to know the people we would soon encounter on a daily basis. With our initial apprehensions set aside, the first day was a breeze - aside from the agonising struggle to come up with a “fun” fact about ourselves.

​On 3rd July, I had the incredible opportunity to visit Westfield Academy in Watford as a representative of Fivium. My aim was to enlighten and inspire the minds of students about the exciting career prospects available in the ever-evolving world of technology. It was a fulfilling experience that allowed me to share my passion for tech and, hopefully, guide these individuals in making informed decisions about their future studies and careers.

​For over 15 years, Fivium has recognised the paramount importance of emerging talent in driving our company's growth and fostering innovation through our student placement scheme. By collaborating closely with renowned universities such as Bath, Kent, and Surrey, we are able to provide valuable practical experience to aspiring software developers whilst also harnessing their potential to propel Fivium's progress. As the Head Mentor, I am immensely proud to witness the indispensable role our students play in the dynamic growth of Fivium, as well as their profound impact on improving public sector services.

Most people’s stereotypical view of a software engineer usually consists of a person wearing a free conference T-shirt, having large over ear headphones who codes for 8 hours a day usually only stopping to refill their caffeinated or carbonated drink! My career as a software engineer has been very different and very much customer focussed.

In the last 53 years, since the Equal Pay Act, the UK has made massive strides towards making the workplace more equal. Now, more than ever, the idea of a gender-equal world: a world free from bias, stereotypes and discrimination seems achievable. There is still, however, a long way to go. Discrimination based on gender is still a very real thing. The first gender pay gap reporting requirements only came into force 6 years ago. And there are still gaps.