The Degree Apprenticeship Programme run by multi-award-winning digital transformation company, de Novo Solutions, has seen its first entrant scoop a national award just weeks after graduating.
Brogan Williams joined de Novo three years ago, and has since taken on the role of mentoring newer entrants into the programme, which is run in partnership with the Welsh Government and the University of South Wales.
Having completed his BSc (Hons) Digital Technology Solutions course this summer, achieving a first-class degree with honours, Brogan was named Apprentice of the Year at the 2025 FinTech Awards Wales ceremony held in Cardiff.
At the same awards, de Novo’s Founder and Group Chief Executive, Mark Sweeny was named Leader of the Year, and the company was also shortlisted in the Best Growth Story/Start-Up category.
Brogan said:
“I’ve always been passionate about working in the IT industry, so I started looking into apprenticeships and the opportunity with de Novo really stood out to me.
“It was a real honour to be the first to complete their Degree Apprenticeship Programme – being a pioneer in this role has been both exciting and challenging. What means the most to me is that it proves these programmes really do work: I genuinely believe apprenticeships are the way forward for developing the next generation of talent in tech.”
During his apprenticeship, Brogan balanced studies with real-world experience, contributing to client-facing projects and even acting as lead consultant for several accounts. He also developed an AI tool designed to streamline Oracle Cloud updates by filtering release notes and highlighting what’s most relevant for each client. Initially a dissertation project, he continues to refine the solution for ongoing business use.
In addition to his technical contributions, Brogan has taken on mentorship and advocacy roles, supporting apprentices at de Novo and promoting the programme in local schools.
Brogan added:
“de Novo took a chance on me when I was just starting out, and I want to keep contributing to its success by taking on more responsibility, delivering value-based solutions, and developing my skills further. There's something really satisfying about identifying problems and building tools that make people's working lives easier and more productive.”
