This article was originally published on 21 June 2024.
You can read the original article on the 6point6 website here.
It’s a time for reflection and celebration as Tasha Zengeni, Head of Learning and Development, looks back at the success of 6point6 | Part of Accenture’s graduate programme and the achievement of its many cohorts. Tasha talks to Esther Sule, a graduate who’s currently undertaking her training within cyber security, as well as James Gaby, Data Engineer, who reflects on how the programme gave him the technical know-how, soft skills, ongoing support and confidence to be where he is now.
Talent development is crucial for any company, and even more so in tech. We face an ever-growing skills shortage in a sector where demand will only increase as we move into the next decade and beyond. There’s no better time to invest in the next generation of tech disruptors and innovators than now. I’ve been looking back over my two years leading the programme and reflecting on the 30 graduates we’ve supported in that time, with a further 12 to join us in September. Each individual has helped us to build a better place to work, enriching 6point6 with their diverse experiences, academic backgrounds, fresh perspectives and ideas, and an overarching ambition to make a difference.
When it comes to encouraging a growth mindset and building personal resilience, our programme has been particularly tailored to nurture and develop our graduates. The structured pathway gives them the right support and technical training, resulting in our graduates gaining new accreditations and certifications including in AWS and Azure technologies. Equally essential to the programme are the opportunities we provide to gain hands-on experience supporting colleagues who are working on some of the most technically challenging and complex projects facing both the public and private sectors. An immersive rotation scheme has also been carefully developed so our graduates gain exposure to our different practices, from cyber to data, engineering and business analysis.
Crucially, our graduates enhance their soft skills by building their networks, developing their client engagement skills, as well as receiving coaching on communication styles and building trusted relationships. The programme is also specially designed to embed our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion with a targeted approach to increase gender diversity, resulting in a 66% female cohort in our programme last year. As the lead for the graduate programme, I am delighted to see its positive impact and thrilled to hear about the continued success of our graduates, which gives me confidence that this programme has set them on a trajectory towards future leadership roles at 6point6.
In Esther’s own words – Cyber Security Consultant at 6point6
My expectations prior to joining the programme have so far matched the reality on the ground. I’m almost halfway through the two-year full-time programme and I’m currently working on a project that will improve, simplify and secure how citizens access digital services across central government departments. I’m getting stuck in supporting different aspects of the project, from information architecture to security. For example, I’ve been working on a road map to improve the cyber security culture across the organisation. I also carried out a gap analysis as part of that and spoke to different members of the team to track what was working well and drive process improvement on the project.
What stands out for me about the graduate programme is the mix of technical training and immersive elements. Our first eight weeks were like an intensive bootcamp where we learnt about every single aspect of 6point6 and met with people from every team to gain a holistic view of the business. One of my goals has been to hone my stakeholder management, communication and advocacy skills, which are integral learning components of the programme. 6point6 has given me the space to enhance these skills by working directly with experts in my team on a client project.
Importantly, I’ve also had support and encouragement to work towards my other goal of becoming an advocate for women in tech. I’ve been part of employee networks such as the Women in Tech Action Group and the Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Network since day one, and recently spoke at an internal women in tech panel for International Women’s Day in keeping with this year’s theme of ‘Inspiring Inclusion’. Another top highlight for me has been sharing my post-graduate insights and experiences at the UK Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge’s ‘Early Careers’ session. It was brilliant to speak with university students who are eager to kick start their careers in cyber security and want to know what the next step looks like for them.
In James’ own words – Senior Consultant, Data Engineering at 6point6
Having graduated from the programme about a year ago, I’m now a senior data engineering consultant working on central government and public sector projects with a focus on data quality and setting up governance systems and processes. I am currently working on a large project to improve data quality and introduce a standardised framework to accurately pinpoint feature design issues and fixes. This will drive better, more informed decision making, which will in turn improve efficiency and reduce costs. What I’ve really loved is applying my analytical mindset to solve real-world problems in a high support, high challenge environment.
Given the complexity of our work with government agencies and the public sector, stakeholder engagement has been one of the most rewarding parts of my role. My job is about understanding and navigating different priorities and adapting my approach to best meet my clients’ specific needs. Another exciting achievement has been seeing some code I’ve developed become open source – quite a buzz to see your work making an impact beyond its intended purpose!
6point6 is collaborative in every sense. We all help each other no matter where you are in the business. If you’re stuck on a problem, you can always reach out across the company and be met with people wanting to share helpful tips and resources. It feels like we’re teammates rather than just colleagues. Coming up with ideas is actively supported regardless of level or role, which contributes to that collaborative atmosphere.
Tasha Zengeni, Head of Learning and Development at 6point6 | Part of Accenture
With over 20 years of HR experience, Tasha is passionate about developing talent. She is an advocate for empowering individuals with a holistic approach to learning that blends technical, consulting and people skills to achieve the best outcomes. As co-lead of the 6point6’s Mutual Mentoring Programme, Tasha is a champion of knowledge-sharing and professional development.
Esther Sule is a cyber security consultant with an interest in cyber strategy, risk management and innovation through making access to services secure and reliable. Esther is an active member of 6point6’s EDI and Women in Tech employee networks, organising and facilitating events and panels that bring people together. Senior data engineering consultant James Gaby is passionate about making a positive difference for citizens and clients through technology, leveraging data to drive strategic decision-making.
