About the UX Apprenticeship Program

Our 12-week paid UX apprenticeship upskills passionate individuals through dedicated mentorship and real-world experience in software design and development. We are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive culture, which is essential to innovation and delivering stronger business outcomes.
 

Program overview

If you are excited to gain the skills necessary to become a User Experience Consultant, this program is for you! Through our UX Apprenticeship, you will work alongside a dedicated UX mentor on an established Agile software delivery team. Together, you will design and deliver product features and contribute to the success of a collaborative, cross-disciplinary team. During the program, you will also work independently to hone your craft by completing an assigned Capstone project. You will design features, conduct usability tests, iterate, and present your project and design process to our leadership team. Successful apprentices will gain real-world software experience and the possibility of full-time time employment with our growing team. 

Program tracks

Our UX apprenticeship offers the choice between two distinct career tracks: UX design and UX frontend engineering. Both career tracks prepare exceptionally motivated individuals to join our growing User Experience team as a full-time UX Associate. 

UX design track

The UX design track trains you to design end-to-end mobile or Web experiences using a human-centered design approach. Mentorship and feedback centers around the craft of great design, including how users interact with your product, and the quality and consistency of interaction and UI design. You will design prioritized features for your Capstone project. You will conduct usability testing to validate your design assumptions and iterate based on user insights.

Program highlights:

• Embed with a software delivery team (3 days/week)
• Work independently on the Capstone project (2 days/week)
• Storyboard a feature
• Generate low-fidelity wireframes
• Conduct moderated usability testing
• Apply Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1) to design
• Polish high-fidelity mockups
• Present final Capstone project to leadership

Qualified candidates for the UX design track must have at least 1-2 strong, comprehensive interactive projects in their portfolio and some relevant work experience.

UX frontend engineering track

The UX frontend engineering track prepares you to design and develop end-to-end Web experiences using a human-centered design approach. Mentorship and feedback centers around the implementation of visual, interaction and UI design. You will bring your design to life by building a responsive interactive prototype and validating your design assumptions through usability testing and implementing iterative improvements.

Program highlights:

• Embed on a software delivery team (3 days/week)
• Work independently on the Capstone project (2 days/week)
• Generate low-fidelity wireframes
• Conduct moderated usability testing
• Apply Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1) to design and implementation
• Polish high-fidelity mockups
• Develop a responsive interactive prototype using mock data
• Present final Capstone project to leadership

Qualified candidates for the UX frontend engineering track must have a foundation in interaction design, HTML/CSS, and possess a high level of design acumen.

Stories from former apprentices

Nahed Shaikh

Apprentice Track: UX Design
Current Role: UX Consultant

Why did you apply to the UX apprentice program?

After completing my Master's in Computer Science, I started looking for opportunities that allowed me to combine my technical background and creative interests. After taking a UX design course online to learn more about the field, I landed a role as a freelance UX designer. Freelance wasn't the best path for me. I was looking for some proper guidance and mentorship to grow as a designer. 

When I was looking for a change, I came across the apprentice program at WWT, and it was everything I was looking for. An apprenticeship is all about learning. It was a safe and supportive environment that allowed me to experiment, learn, grow, and get better at the process. I could learn from my mistakes, and the program helped me understand the overall process and develop the skills and competencies essential for upcoming work. 

During the program, I got to work with a lot of amazing people from the company, and I built some great connections. I wanted to work with a mentor for proper guidance and got to work with multiple mentors who were supportive, encouraging, and knowledgeable. They gave me constant feedback, and it helped me improve my work and skills. The apprentice program was a fantastic way to start a promising career in the UX design industry, and I wouldn't want it any other way. 

What types of skills have you been able to develop since you graduated from the UX apprentice program?

• UX design fundamentals
• User research techniques and usability testing
• Accessibility guidelines and things to look out for
• Using Apple Human Interface Guidelines and Material Design Guidelines
• Design Systems: how to use, design, and build from scratch
• UI animations using After Effects
• Prototyping skills using Adobe XD and Figma
• Ability to work independently and collaborate with the team
• Storyboarding

What do you love most about working here?

• Getting to work with people from different disciplines: from other designers to developers, QAs and analysts.
• The best part – people. I get to learn something new every day just by talking to most of them. There is constant collaboration within the team when on a project, but apart from that, having design-specific meetings, huddles and design critique sessions just helps you grow as a designer.
• There is a system for continuous feedback. This feedback culture establishes a level of comfort at work where everybody is comfortable giving and receiving feedback.
• The benefits provided are fantastic.
• The company invests in the growth of its employees. Lots of resources to learn from, and people at WWT always volunteer to mentor others.

Lynda Tolley

Apprentice Track: UX Design
Current Role: Senior UX Consultant

How did you learn about the UX apprentice program?

I never got to attend my college graduation. I was admitted to the hospital, unable to walk, barely move my fingers, had neuropathy in my feet, and a lack of nearly every vitamin in my body. This was a complication that occurred right after having an emergency c-section for my daughter. I became pregnant my senior year of college, and after I submitted my finals and was cleared to graduate, I went into the emergency room. I was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia and my kidneys were starting to fail. So, I had to have an emergency c-section. The recovery was long and hard, but with the support of my husband (then-fiancé) and my family, I was able to get better and back to normal. Despite not walking across the stage, I still graduated with a degree in Interactive Design. 

Before coming to World Wide Technology, I was among many contract workers in the design industry. While I was happy to work again, I wasn't necessarily happy in my contract jobs. They were fun, but they were not in the field of UX. I wanted more. Even when I had a long and stable contract, I was still trying and interviewing for several different job positions. I had a few offers, but nothing really worked out. Soon, I just found myself stuck, like many recent graduates in job search limbo. It wasn't until I was contacted by a recruiter that I stumbled upon the UX apprenticeship opportunity. 

What types of skills have you been able to develop since you graduated from the UX apprentice program?

I've developed a lot of skills, including user experience research and human factors. Before going through the apprenticeship program, I would make design decisions based on a visual instinct. But I never really tested, nor understood that there is a science and field of study that justifies and can inform design decisions. Now, both are an integral part of planning and designing a feature. 

Jamal Williams

Apprentice Track: UX Frontend Engineering
Current Role: UX Frontend Engineer

Why did you apply to the UX apprentice program?

I originally went to school for graphic design but transitioned to web development for better opportunities. Unfortunately, my program was woefully behind the times within the industry. Not wanting to waste any more time or money, I left school and pursued freelance web development as a career. I was also involved in various community development projects. 

I committed myself to a journey of self-instruction. Part-time, I pursued building websites for local small businesses and independent contractors. I eventually found myself squeezed out of that niche due to the rise of popular, cost-effective CMS platforms geared towards that demographic. 

Lacking the experience to deal with enterprise clients directly, I saw the UX frontend engineering apprenticeship track as an opportunity to do a deep dive in full-stack UX (research, design and frontend development) and apply those skills to service those clients.

What skills have you gained since graduating from the program, and what are you most excited to learn?

I've had the opportunity to get my feet wet in mobile app development and test-driven development. I'm interested in augmented intelligence and what it means for the future. However, my current interest is blockchain development, specifically decentralized apps on the Ethereum network, and learning to write efficient and secure smart contracts. 

How to apply

When available, our UX apprenticeships happen on-site in our St. Louis, MO office. We plan to extend this program to other office locations in the future.