DVLA’s Year in Industry programme is an excellent opportunity for individuals looking to kickstart their careers in the digital sector. The programme offers a wide range of roles focused on technology and online environments, including digital communications, software development, and cyber security, among others.
This year marks the fifth anniversary of the scheme, and three students from different universities across Wales have joined the DVLA for their placements.
Today, we explore how they are settling in and reflect on their induction experiences. This year’s students include Tuhin Rashid, who has taken on the role of Software Development Engineer in Test (SDET); Rohit Ranjan, who is part of the Emerging Technology Lab (ETL); and Thirowshie Srijeyaram, who has joined the Digital Strategy and Capability Centre (DSCC).
Introducing our students
Tuhin Rashid: I’m a Year in Industry student completing a master’s in software engineering from Cardiff University and I’m currently on the SDET training programme with DVLA. I worked in the DVLA call centre for 2 and a half years and came across the placement opportunity.
Thirowshie Srijeyaram: I’m a BSc business management student studying in Swansea University and I’m on a sandwich year where I’ll be completing the Year in Industry programme on my digital attraction course with DVLA. I was fortunate to secure a position at DVLA, working in the digital strategy and communications team.
Rohit Ranjan: I’m a Year in Industry student from Aberystwyth University, studying artificial intelligence. When I was searching for a placement opportunity in emerging tech, I found this placement opportunity on LinkedIn and decided to apply.
Tell us about why you chose this programme and your experience in this field.
Tuhin Rashid
I originally pursued a BSc in Biomedical Sciences but decided to switch career paths to follow my growing interest in technology.
To make this transition, I completed a Master’s conversion course in Software Engineering at Cardiff University, which included a Year in Industry., I discovered this placement opportunity and knew it would be the perfect chance to gain hands-on experience in the field—and here I am!
Although I’m relatively new to Software Engineering, my time here has been incredibly enriching. I’ve learned so much already and am excited to continue building my skills and growing in this field.
Thirowshie Srijeyaram
I chose this Year in Industry programme to gain practical experience and a better understanding of marketing, communications, and strategy in a professional setting.
As a business management student, I’ve enjoyed studying marketing, digital marketing, and PR, so this placement felt like a great opportunity to apply my skills and develop further.
Outside of my studies, I’m a model and an ambassador for the charity A-Sisterhood, which has given me experience in promoting myself and my brand on social media.This placement has been rewarding already, helping me learn new skills and gain valuable insights. In the future, I hope to work in PR, with a focus on event management, and dream of joining a major fashion company like Vogue, combining my passion for fashion, communications, and marketing.
Rohit Ranjan
I spend my spare time on the computer researching about AI and am very fascinated by emerging tech. When I was searching for a job related to emerging tech and AI, I found this job on LinkedIn and immediately applied and fortunately got selected. Since a young age, I’ve always been fascinated by software and have wondered what it was like on the inside and how it works. In the future, in an ideal world I would want to be the CEO of a company like Microsoft or Google.
What are you expecting to gain from the role?
Tuhin Rashid
I’m looking forward to adding to my toolkit, learning new skills and applying the skills that I already have to the role and my tasks. I’m also expecting to gain more confidence in my work and build greater awareness about how tech affects people.
Thirowshie Srijeyaram
I’m expecting to gain real experience working as a communications professional and gain practical skills that will equip me for future graduate jobs. I have been working here for 4 months, and I can already confidently say I have learnt and developed skills that are going to benefit me when applying for graduate jobs. It’s given me a perspective on what to expect in a communications role and what a corporate lifestyle is like.
Rohit Ranjan
I am expecting to gain experience that I’ll be able to rely on after I graduate. I’d also like to understand how production coding works and get the grasp of it. One thing I’m looking forward to is doing the certifications, like the Amazon course, ‘AWS Cloud Fundamentals’, as this knowledge and experience will be very good for my future. I have one booked in soon which I am looking forward to.
What excites you about the role?
Tuhin Rashid
Coming from the contact centre, one thing I often dealt with is driving licence queries and most people who called needed help navigating the DVLA website. The team I’m currently working with is working on addressing that. One thing I’m most excited about is contributing to create a new and better website that people will find easy to navigate.
Thirowshie Srijeyaram
I’m very excited about the scope and freedom I’ll have. This isn’t a role that is restricting – it has a lot of space for exploring. When I had my first meeting with my manager, we discussed that we could make this placement anything I want it to be, and I can choose factors I would like to work on. Hopefully by the end of the placement, I will have a good idea of what I enjoy, which will help me choose my career path after I finish my last year in university.
Rohit Ranjan
The aspect that I find most exciting is researching new technology and implementing it into my current team projects. This is something I’m excited to do as it allows me to push the boundaries of what is possible, bring fresh ideas to the table, and improve our workflow. Exploring innovations and figuring out how they can make a tangible difference in our projects fuels my curiosity and drive, enabling our team to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving tech landscape.
What tasks and projects do you get to work on in your role?
Tuhin Rashid
I spend time working on the driver’s app and dealing with internal applications. When customers call DVLA, the applications that the contact centre staff use are the internal apps we manage. I work in SDET, ensuring the functionality of the app.
Thirowshie Srijeyaram
Every day is different in communications. Due to it being a hybrid job, I can work at home, in the office, at careers events representing the directorate, and we also have internal events where we volunteer for events such as Code Challenge and Ada Lovelace Day. I work closely with my team and write a lot of internal and external articles and blogs; I also own the viva engage channel and have been working on creating a strategy plan that we can implement throughout the year.
Rohit Ranjan
In my role, I focus on building and refining both web and mobile applications that integrate advanced AI capabilities to deliver meaningful user experiences. I handle both backend and frontend development, creating efficient and user-friendly applications across platforms. For backend work, I primarily use Python, while on the frontend I use a combination of Node.js, React, and TypeScript to ensure a responsive and consistent experience for users, whether they are on a web or mobile device.
DVLA’s Year in Industry programme offers students an crucial opportunity to gain hands-on experience in their chosen fields, whether it’s digital communications, software development, or emerging technologies.
Tuhin, Thirowshie, and Rohit are already making meaningful contributions to their teams, applying their skills to real-world projects while exploring their career aspirations. From creating user-friendly applications to strategizing communication plans and integrating cutting-edge technologies, the work they’re doing is shaping their futures and helping DVLA stay at the forefront of digital innovation.
As they reflect on their journeys so far, it’s evident that the Year in Industry programme is more than just a placement—it’s a platform for discovery, growth, and impact. We’re excited to see how their stories unfold and how they continue to develop in their roles.
Keen to find out more? Check out the development programmes that DVLA offers here.
