The end of June marked a significant milestone for 6 of our team as they officially ‘graduated’ from our first ever DCS Graduate Training Programme (GTP) following the culmination of 18 months of learning.
In January 2021 in the midst of the pandemic DCS recruited 6 enthusiastic graduates with backgrounds in Computer Science and Information Technology to embark on their early careers in the Pega ecosystem.
With all 6 Decisioning Architects certified Pega consultants in both Pega Certified Decisioning Consultant (PCDC) and Pega Certified System Architect (PCSA)and Pega Express Delivery Methodology their growth has is testament to their hard work and dedication.
During the first 8 weeks graduates were taken through a classroom style training programme ran remotely by one of our experienced Pega Architects. The graduates were trained not only to pass the course but were given business soft skills training developing their learning as well as being helped to understand the how, the what, and the why of Pega decisioning with real world context driven from our wide client experiences.
The standard Pega course was broken down into bitesize modules with time built in for questions, in-depth discussions on specific topic as well as fun team building exercises. The course was supplemented with sessions with DCS experts from various parts of the business; providing additional business context and practical examples of the day to day work as a Decisioning Consultant discussing complimentary work management tools (like JIRA) and delivery methodologies such as Agile. We were also fortunate to have guest speakers from Pega including Grant Readings, Solutions Consultant and Peter Van Der Putten , Director AI Lab who managed to capture imaginations with the power of Pega.
With all of the graduates having attained their PCDC certifications, and having completed a 2 week internal DCS Project in which the group developed decisioning capabilities in squads, they were then soft deployed into clients for a first taste of real world experience.
Through a variety of rotated workstreams both project and in life workstreams, and different roles responsibilities within a delivery squad the graduates were afforded the chance to work on both technical and decisioning solutions affording them diverse experiences of the Pega Product.
With a variety of support mechanisms including dedicated study time, buddy systems, DCS Internal Tech Talks and Workshops the graduates went on to complete their PCSA training over the next year.
In summary, we’re very proud of the successes of our first ever cohort and the success of our first ever DCS GTP. Their learning and contribution has seen them mature into well-rounded Decisioning Architects who have helped delivered many successful projects for our clients.
We hope that we’ll soon be able to build on these successes and learnt experiences as we look to embark on our next (even better) cohort in 2023.
Here from some of our graduates about how they’ve found life at DCS in their early Pega careers.
I joined DCS Graduate Training Programme (GTP) straight after finishing my undergraduate degree, and my experience has been great! DCS have been very supportive when it comes to learning, and so far I’ve achieved two Pega certifications, PCDC and PCSA. One of the best things about DCS is the people, they are friendly and approachable it’s like being party of a big family. People are so passionate about what they do and always happy to give up their time to answer questions or help in anyway. During my time here I’ve worked in three different squads, which has given me a chance to experience and understand the different ways of working as a Pega Decisioning Consultant. I’ve been entrusted with a lot of responsibility in a short space of time with the knowledge that there is a DCS support network if/whenever I need. Another great thing about DCS are the social events they organise, which are not only fun, but really help everyone to get to know each other. I’ve been with DCS for over 2 years now, and I’ve had massive personal and professional growth during this time, and I hope to continue this in the future.
Calum Tait – 2022 Graduate Decisioning Consultant
I joined DCS Graduate Training Programme (GTP) straight after finishing my undergraduate degree, and my experience at DCS has been great! Everyone is welcoming and supportive. Throughout my time here I’ve been able to work in three different squads, which has allowed me to understand the variety of work available. DCS have been very supportive when it comes to learning, so far I have been able to achieve two Pega qualifications, PCDC and PCSA. People at DCS are really approachable, it’s like one big family. Everyone is happy to answer questions, especially technical ones as people are really passionate about what they do. I’ve been entrusted with a lot of responsibility and DCS are always there when I need support. DCS frequently organise events and get togethers which truly allow everyone to come together as one. I’ve been with DCS for over 2 years now, and I’ve had massive personal and professional growth during this time, and I hope to continue this in the future.
Suhail Remtulla – 2022 Graduate Decisioning Consultant
