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 as it secures North West contracts for its new resourcing offer – Academy as a Service – and appoints former IT teacher as its first graduate apprentice.
By rolling out its Academy as a Service in the North West, Edge Testing enables businesses to build their own in-house testing teams using Edge Academy graduates, at low risk and cost. Current clients include those in the retail, energy, housing, media and high tech sectors. While the aim is to service all North West clients with local testers, as the team grows, colleagues from Birmingham and Glasgow are boosting resources.
Manchester-born Steve Walsh’s new role as a Test Consultant 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 has returned back to ‘school’ after responding to an advertisement for 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 is now a part of Edge Testing’s team of over 260 people UK-wide, and works with experienced testers, career changers, and new qualified graduates in the North West office.
David Singleton, Regional Manager for England and Wales at Edge Testing, commented: “Steve is part of our Academy as a Service offer, which benefits both employees as a fast-track development program, and 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 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 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.”